And Then There Were Two
by SanchZeOtaku
Summary: Zoro and Sanji find themselves stranded on a godforsaken island with no sight of the rest of the crew or the Sunny anywhere. They find that surviving on that island is taking up all their physical and mental strength and they are yet to find any trace of their Nakama. What will Zoro and Sanji do in order to live a day longer? A Zosan fic.
1. Prologue

_**Summary: **_Zoro and Sanji find themselves stranded on a godforsaken island with no sight of the rest of the crew or the Sunny anywhere. They find that surviving on that island is taking up all their physical and mental strength and they are yet to find any trace of their Nakama. What will Zoro and Sanji do in order to live a day longer? A Zosan fic.

_**Warning: Yaoi- Male x Male**_. If you do not agree, please do not read this fic. But do not give hate.

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own One Piece, its wonderful characters or the couples. I only own the OCs in the story. All copyrights and credits go to our beloved Oda sensei.

_**Genre: **_Angst/Romance

_**Rating: M **_for explicit language and sexual scenes.

_**A/n: **_Before I start this fic, of course I have to put an Author's Note. Hello all! I'm back and this time with some major inspiration. I want to make a special mention of the story **One to a Thousand **by **EudaimonArisornae [ s/9488212/1/One-to-a-Thousand][click on the first link that appears in the search] **which was the sole reason I decided to write this fic. It would really make me happy if you guys were to go and check it out :D It's a wonderful story, you have my word for it. And this is also my first Zosan fic so I'm thrilled to be writing it. Also, this story takes place after the time-skip. So read, enjoy, follow, favorite and review! Lots of love~

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**And Then There Were Two**

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**Prologue**

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Sanji was mesmerized at the stunning beauty of his beloved Nami san. He could stare at her forever and it would feel like but a few seconds. But Sanji found himself despairing. Nami's beautiful features were marred by a steadily deepening frown as she continued to stare at the log pose on her delicate wrist. Sanji had come to find that that expression had become one that Nami wore constantly since the past day and a half. The carrot-haired navigator raised her free hand and began to bite her thumbnail. Another habit that Sanji had found her doing every time something troubled her greatly. He came to stand beside her and look down at the object of her distress. The needles of the log pose were fluctuating at great speed, never resting on a point for more than a second.

"Nami san? Is everything alright?" Sanji found himself asking out of concern. Nami's frown deepened - if that was even possible – and Sanji found himself fretting that the crease would become a permanent mark on the navigator's pretty face.

"No Sanji kun. Everything is _not _alright." Her voice was troubled and Sanji opened his mouth to croon some soothing words to console her, but he was cut off as another enormous wave crashed into the side of Thousand Sunny. Sanji caught Nami just in time, before she was thrown off the ship. The entire vessel groaned from the impact and they heard several shouts from below. Usopp burst out from the hatch on the deck's floor, smoke pouring out after him as he coughed and spluttered.

"Oi Nami! Can't you do something about those waves?! At this rate Sunny's going to be ripped apart." Nami snapped at the sharpshooter, her voice rising by a decibel.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do Usopp?!"

"I don't know! You're the weather person! Figure something out!" So saying, he slammed the hatch shut, effectively cutting off further conversation and the steady flow of smoke that had settled on deck. Another wave rattled the ship and both Nami and Sanji cursed out loud. The carrot-head made her way to the dining room that she had been using to study her maps and the weather. As they entered, they saw Robin, Brook and Chopper leaning over what seemed to be a map of that part of the Grand Line. As Nami approached, the trio raised their heads. Robin was the first to voice her concerns.

"Nami things aren't looking very good." Nami frowned again but didn't comment.

"If the weather keeps up, Usopp and Franky won't be able to mend Sunny and we'll be stuck here till we eventually starve to death or get ripped to shreds."

"Robin! Don't just talk about ways we're going to end up dying like that!" Chopper screeched as tears poured down his face. Nami slammed her hands down hard on the table and winced as the pain shot through her. Then she turned to look at Sanji.

"Sanji kun, how are our rations?" Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke before answering.

"They'll last another day or two. Four days if we cut down on our intake drastically." Nami looked like she would break down any second. She took her head in her hands and groaned.

"At this rate we'll end up being ripped to shreds before we can starve to death."

"Nami~~~!" Chopper screeched again. Brook 'Yohohohoho'd and said softly,

"We're going to have to trust Franky san and Usopp san to fix Sunny up the best they can… Or we're all going to be in a pinch." The skeleton played with his bony fingers as he looked deeply distressed – however distressed a skeleton can look anyway. Nami took a deep breath and skimmed through the maps and notes she'd made. Finally she nodded slowly.

"Yes, I think if we can somehow manage to keep going, by tomorrow we should be out of this storm. If luck is on our side, we might be able to use Coup De Burst to reach one of the islands around and then we can fix Sunny up and get more rations." Nami's voice was steadily growing less certain as she finished her speech. The small group surrounding her voiced their encouragement and hope that did nothing to placate the already troubled navigator. She suddenly turned to look out of one of the many windows.

"Where are Luffy and Zoro? I haven't heard from either of them in a while now." Their newfound problem effectively acted as a means of distraction, as the Strawhats turned to go in search of their Captain and First mate.

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Nami screamed as she was thrown across the lawn deck. She grabbed onto the railing just in time, the black ocean below churning close to her heels. She successfully toppled herself back onto the ship and then sat clutching the railing for dear life. Lightning flashed, illuminating Sunny for a moment, before everything was black again. Thunder followed and another enormous wave threw Sunny to the side, causing Nami to clutch the wooden beam for all her life was worth.

"Nami san!" Sanji shouted over the sound of the storm, as he made his way to the navigator. He pulled her up and quickly the two staggered to the interior of the ship. Once inside, Nami scanned the faces around.

"Where's Luffy?!" She screamed, panic clear in her voice. Sanji's face contorted in a frown as he rushed outside in search of their Captain. Fearing for the worst, Nami made to follow, but a strong grip caused her to stop.

"I'll go." Zoro sped past her and out the slamming door. Nami sunk into one of the many seats around the large dining table and ruffled her hair in frustration.

"Oi oi things are really looking bad out there." Usopp had his long nose pressed against one of the porthole windows, a worried frown on his face. Nami cried out in desperation.

"Usopp how is the Sunny?! Do you think we can-"

"We're all going to be torn into pieces before that." Usopp's voice was low and strained and Nami knew he was doing all he could from rushing below deck. Franky had apparently found the source of the problem and had ushered Usopp out, saying the work would get done faster if it were just him. The sharpshooter was none too happy about it, but didn't complain. There was a sudden crash and a loud shout and the crew rushed outside. Brook flung the door open and they strained to see what was going on.

Luffy was clinging on to the mast for dear life, his arms winding around the huge wooden beam several times. He was shouting something behind him and the crew only saw a flash of green as Sanji and Zoro tumbled overboard. Chopper screamed and Usopp and Brook rushed onto the deck. But they were too late. Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky but the crew could see nothing but black waves surrounding them. Luffy screamed again and was about to launch himself into the water, but a large pair of metal arms closed down on him. They looked up to see Franky with a grave expression on his face.

"If we plan on using Coup De Burst to get out of here, now's the only chance." He shouted. Luffy continued to scream and struggle in his arms. All eyes turned to Nami as a lump formed in the carrot-head's throat. It was obvious what they had to do. Despite what the crew wanted, Nami's priority was the lives of the people currently on deck.

"They'll be fine." She said – more to herself than anyone else - her voice lost in the storm. Luffy screamed again and successfully punched Franky in the face. But before he could do anything, Chopper tackled him and held him in place.

"Nami!" The reindeer yelled. Nami choked back a sob as she spun to face Usopp and Franky.

"Go go go go go!" She screamed and the two men disappeared below deck. Several arms sprouted from everywhere and grabbed on to the members on deck, effectively holding them in place. Nami looked towards the ocean desperately, praying, wishing and hoping that Zoro and Sanji would somehow make it to shore.

'_They'll be fine. It's them after all. They'll be fine... Right?'_ And nothing she said or did could have changed anything as Sunny shot into the sky.

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**A/n: And here's to another story! :D This is the first time I'm publishing two stories simultaneously. Hopefully the Prologue wasn't too long. Lots of love to all the readers and I hope you'll review, follow and favorite! Look forward to Chapter 1!**

**Love~**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/n: I do not know why, but all my alerts from have been going into spam. I almost freaked out when I never got any alerts. Thank god that problem is solved now! Thank you for all the follow, favorites and reviews. Once again, I might not have time to reply to every review individually, but know that they have been read and appreciated. (:**

**Also, for the first time I am publishing two stories simultaneously [Think I mentioned this in the prologue] So all the RinHaru fans go check out One More Time! #Advertising.**

**Review, follow and favorite! Also, the main theme for this fic is angst, a genre that I can proudly say, am very good at writing as it fuels my sadistic nature beautifully. So I shall try to add a comical twist if at all possible, but know that this fic will not be following the general One Piece theme of comedy.**

**That's all~ Love~**

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**Chapter 1**

Sanji blinked slowly. He tried to move but he couldn't feel his body. His throat burned and he felt sick. His first thought was to figure out where they were. He moved his head around, trying to find something that would tell him where they had ended up. Managing to see nothing but white sand, he stared up at the piercingly blue sky. He hadn't thought he'd ever be able to see the sky again. His next thought was that he wasn't the only one who fell overboard. Again he tried to move and finally after several minutes of coaxing, his limbs allowed him to prop himself up on one elbow. He squinted around the bright beach, looking for a mop of green. He successfully found what he was looking for lying several metres behind him, half buried in the sand. Satisfied, Sanji lay back on the warm sand and shut his eyes. He would rest a bit before trying to figure out what to do next. He was alive and so was the Marimo. The thought allowed his tired mind to drift off.

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Sanji opened his eyes again. This time he was staring at an ink blue sky clustered with billions of stars. He groaned as he tried to sit up. Surprisingly his body listened to him and the cook pushed himself to his feet. Sanji looked behind him and suddenly panicked when he saw that there was no green in the sand where it last was.

"Oh you're finally up." Sanji looked over his shoulder at the familiar annoying voice. Zoro was sitting on a rock in front of a small fire, poking the twigs with a stick. The shitty swordsman looked like hell. His clothes were completely torn and Zoro had ripped off the top half, probably because it had been in a worse state. Sanji couldn't spot the swords around his waist and the cook figured Zoro must have left them on Sunny. The only part of him that looked the same was his spiky green hair. Sanji sighed and reached into his pockets. To his utter dismay, he couldn't find his packet of cigarettes nor his lighter. Frowning, he hurriedly inspected himself to see if he could somehow manage to find one. What he found wasn't his cigarettes – much to his chagrin – but that he had lost his suit jacket, that his pants were completely tattered and his shirt looked nowhere near salvageable. All in all, he looked worse than Zoro. That coupled with his lack of cigarettes instantly put him in a bad mood. He kicked a shell and growled as the small object skipped across the sand.

"Oi Ero-cook, I caught us some fish so come eat it before I decide I want them all to myself." Sanji bit back a retort and walked up to where Zoro sat. He stared down at what were apparently 'fish' but looked more like the tiny tadpoles Chopper had once caught. Sanji found himself laughing despite himself. Zoro scowled up at him as he nibbled on the tiny fish. Once his fit had subsided, Sanji turned away and walked towards what looked like a forest.

"Oi where are you going?" Sanji ignored the other and squinted through the darkness. They wouldn't be able to explore till the next morning. Zoro was capable of getting himself unbelievably lost in broad daylight. Sanji wasn't about to risk going into a forest with him at night. He sighed and headed back to the rock Zoro was sitting on. Slumping down beside him, Sanji stared at their meager meal.

'_Better than nothing I guess.'_ He shrugged as he picked up one of the jelly like creatures.

Morning proved to be more gratifying to the cook. The second the sun was up, he had dragged Zoro into the forest and they had found that the so-called forest was just a thick line of trees surrounding a large town. Sanji had looked over themselves once and decided that anyone who saw them would deduce that they had survived a shipwreck. Sanji somehow procured some clothes for the two of them and had bumped into a kind old lady who had offered them some food. Once his belly was substantially full, Sanji started to think as to what their next plan of action would be. They obviously needed to figure out where exactly they were. Then they would have to go hunting to see if anyone else of their crew had ended up there or if he could somehow find out their whereabouts. Before that, he thought, finding a place to stay was top priority. He surmised that Zoro without his swords was the same as a brick lying on the side of the road and hence, no one was likely to figure out that they were the fearsome Roronoa Zoro and Black Leg Sanji. Sanji stared at one of the bars that had just closed down and turned into a regular restaurant. He decided he'd find out their whereabouts first.

"Oi Marimo, let's go in the-" Sanji stopped abruptly as he turned to see that there was no mop of green standing behind him. Cussing loudly, Sanji stormed into the restaurant. He wasn't going to waste his time hunting for that shitty swordsman who had moss for brains while there were more pressing matters at hand. Once Sanji had found out that they were on an island called Tanveria – he guessed that it was the island closest to where Sunny had been the previous day – he set off in search of his useless companion. It didn't take long to find that Zoro had, as usual, ended up in a street scuffle. Sanji was surprised to see that even without his swords, the shitty Marimo made short work of the five men. Zoro spotted Sanji and raised an eyebrow.

"Where the hell did you disappear to curlybrow? I was just asking these guys if they'd seen you and they-" Sanji dragged Zoro off before people started gathering.

"Oi what's the hurry." Zoro yanked his arm from Sanji's grip and the latter spun around, his face an inch from the other's.

"You stupid, idiot, useless swordless Marimo who has moss for brains! What were you thinking creating a scene the second we got here?" Zoro merely looked at Sanji with a blank expression.

"Well it's not my fault you wandered off on your own."

"_One more word and I will personally hang you."_ Sanji huffed and dragged Zoro along with him. It was already past noon and he had to start looking for any signs of their crew.

"Oi" The cook ignored the extremely annoying voice.

"Oi!" Sanji spotted a place that was more than likely to give him the information he needed. He started walking but was yanked back as a certain moss-haired man refused to budge.

"Now what?!"

"That's what I wanna know." Zoro raised his hand and Sanji continued to stare at him.

"What." Zoro scowled and shook his hand with irritation. Sanji looked to see what he was going on about and stared at their intertwined fingers. Sanji sighed. Obviously only a shitty swordsman like him would worry about stuff like that.

"What Marimo? Now you're worried about your social image?"

"That's not the point! Why are you holding my hand and dragging me around like a child?!"

"Well obviously because you have a child's habit of getting lost the second I take my eyes off you."

"I do not! You're the one who disappeared!" Sanji rolled his eyes and continued to walk towards his destination, not letting go of Zoro's hand. Zoro continued to grumble and swear but surprisingly didn't try to pull his hand away. Sanji registered this fact in the back of his mind but dismissed it the second he entered the place he was aiming for. He walked straight to the man behind the counter.

"Good afternoon sir. I was wondering if-"

"Yeh I've'a gotta room for ya." Sanji blinked.

"Excuse me?" The man motioned to their intertwined fingers.

"I've'a gottthe perfet' room for the twose of ya." Sanji opened his mouth to protest but the man placed a key in his hand and waved him off. Sanji frowned. He wasn't sure exactly what happened but apparently they'd found a place to stay. When he didn't move, the man turned to look at him.

"Tourists eh? Well I wouldn' say this the right place to spen' yer honemoon then." Sanji's eyes widened as realization finally dawned on him. He plucked his hand away from Zoro's and showed it into the pocket of his trousers.

"I'm sorry but you seemed to have mistaken something here-" The man waved him off.

"Yer,yer tha's wha' they all say." He motioned to the building across the street. "Second floor. Tell'em Big Joe from acros'de street sent'ya."

Sanji wanted to kick the man's ugly mug into the table in between them. But he restrained himself. They had found a place to stay - even If it was because of some crazy misunderstanding – and that's all that mattered for the moment. He stared up at the reasonably good-looking building. He glanced back to make sure Zoro was following him and then entered the building. He walked straight to the desk and placed the key on it. He nodded once and said,

"Big Joe from across the street sent us." The thin oily bespectacled man nodded once and looked between Sanji and Zoro.

"Room for two then? Follow me please." Sanji was happy to note the short man spoke normally. They trooped up a creaking set of stairs and came to a stop in front of a room that read 201. It was the last room at the end of a long dimly lit corridor on the second floor. The bespectacled man opened the door after several moments of fumbling with the keys. He pushed the door open then switched on the lights. Sanji stepped inside and took a quick glance around the room. It was a reasonably large room with maroon wallpaper and wooden furniture. He walked farther in and saw that a worn olive green couch sat facing a small television set next to a pair of windows covered by heavy maroon drapes. A side door next to the couch led to a small bedroom and Sanji was dismayed to see a single large king sized bed covered by maroon bedcovers in the middle of it. Another door led to a reasonably sized and clean bathroom cum toilet and a door next to the television set led to a spacious kitchen and dining room. Sanji turned to the bespectacled man who was standing by the door.

"This is.. an apartment?" The man nodded enthusiastically. "You're lucky Big Joe took a liking to you. He generally never sends tourists in here. We've only got regulars." Sanji didn't understand what he meant but he nodded.

"Hey listen, about the accomadation fee-"

"Ah please don't worry about that! We make sure to take our pay from the other places." Sanji frowned down at the short man.

"What other places?" The man giggled at him.

"Oh please, don't pretend like you don't know. It's perfectly fine to talk about it here." Sanji's frown deepened.

"I'm sorry I really don't know what-" A sudden noise from the hallway cut him off. The two men peered outside and saw that one of the residents of a room down the corridor, a large burly man with tattoos all over his upper body, had Zoro pressed against the opposite wall, a fist placed under his chin. Sanji groaned. What the hell had that stupid moron gotten himself into now? He stomped past his host and walked down the corridor. The burly man was saying something in low tones to the swordsman who was looking at him with an expressionless face.

"Ah I'm really sorry, my friend here is a bit of an idiot you see and-"

"Oh it's perfectly fine don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry what?" The man then let go of Zoro and guffawed loudly. He patted the other on his shoulder and then winked at Sanji.

"Your _friend_ here came knocking on my door and I was just checking to see how much fight he's got in him. Actually you're not bad either! You should join me for dinner today!" Sanji absolutely did not want to have dinner with some random bloke who looked like he was some mafia lord's bodyguard. He tried to politely refuse, but the man simply laughed heartily and thumped them both on the shoulders. After promising to meet at the exact same place at 9 p.m the man disappeared into his room and Sanji grabbed Zoro's wrist. He dragged him back and threw him into their apartment. The bespectacled man excused himself and said if they needed anything he'd be where they found him first. As the door shut behind him, Sanji whipped around to glare at Zoro.

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?! Why would you go randomly knocking on people's doors and picking fights with them?!"

"I wasn't. I thought that was our room." Sanji's jaw dropped at the nonchalant response.

"You.. You.. _How the hell could you get lost in one fucking corridor when you even saw me go in to this room?!"_ Zoro just stared at him for a moment. Then turning around, he went and lay down on the bed. Two seconds later he was snoring. Sanji wanted to bite his fucking head off. Stupid Marimo really had moss for brains. He had never met anyone stupider in his life. He jammed his hands in his pocket looking for his pack but again swore when his hand closed around nothing. He stepped out of the room, swearing to return only once he'd got his hands on a couple of cigarette packs. As a precautionary measure, Sanji locked the door behind him. Hopefully that idiot swordsman wouldn't jump out of the window. Sanji stomped down to the reception and found the bespectacled man talking to a tall woman. Sanji stopped momentarily and stared. The woman was tall, almost as tall as Robin, she wore a long coat made of red fur and red leather gloves. The maroon hat on her head obscured his vision of her face but he could see high cheekbones and full red lips. Sanji couldn't tell, but he was sure she had a curvaceous body under the coat. He stepped up to the desk and cleared his throat. Both turned to look at him and Sanji got to see all of the woman's face. She was well over 40 but still had an aura of authority and power about her that reflected in her burgundy eyes. He smiled politely at her and her lips quirked upwards in a smirk. Sanji nearly swooned at the sexy smile. She exchanged a few words with the man and then turned to leave. As she past by Sanji, she laid a hand on his arm and motioned with her eyes. The cook's heart sped up as he realized what she meant. Cigarettes momentarily forgotten, he followed the woman like a dog following its master. They sat down in the low sofas at the back of the room, where prying eyes couldn't see and the woman stretched out a slender gloved hand.

"My name is Lady Ravena Mc'Couth. You can just call me Ravena." Sanji was slightly taken aback by the deep, commanding voice. But he grasped her hands delightedly and shook them.

"And I'm.. Prince. Just Prince." The woman raised a shaped eyebrow at the name.

"Is that so. A great pleasure to meet you Prince." Sanji smiled flirtatiously. He wasn't sure what this beauty wanted, but he sure as hell wasn't letting go of an opportunity to court a gorgeous woman like her. Ravena settled back in the sofa and parted her full lips making to speak. Sanji stared, mesmerized by the authoritative mouth, as it moved as though every word was a command issued.

"Are you listening to me Prince?" Sanji looked up and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in your beauty for a moment. Pray tell me what you were saying?" Sanji's voice was silky smooth and Ravena once again raised an eyebrow as her mouth quirked up in a full smile.

"I was saying, I have the perfect job for you. If you're interested." Sanji's heartbeat increased and he swallowed.

"Of course! I'd be delighted to work for someone with such exquisite beauty!" Ravena's eyes danced with amusement.

"Well I am delighted to hear that." She stood up, disappointing Sanji that their conversation was so short. She walked past him and towards the door. She paused and looked back.

"Then shall we meet again at say, 11?" Sanji graciously accepted, completely forgetting about their dinner date with burly-tattoos. Satisfied for the day, he walked up to the short bespectacled man.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Oh! Forgive me for not introducing myself! I'm Orwin sir." Orwin bowed slightly. Sanji nodded.

"And I'm Prince." Orwin's reaction was much the same as Ravena's. But he made no comment just as she had.

"And what can I do for you sir?"

"I was hoping you could tell me where I'd find myself a pack of good quality cigarettes." Orwin made an 'oh' sound and fumbled with the drawers behind the desk. He placed four packs of branded cigarettes on the table and Sanji delightedly plucked one up. Placing a cigarette in his mouth, he bent down so Orwin could light it for him. He took a long drag, the nicotine filling his lungs and calming him. He nodded to the man.

"Thanks that really hit the spot. How much do I-"

"Oh please sir! Like I said before, the other places will take care of all the expenses." Again Sanji found himself frowning. He asked Orwin again what these 'other places' he mentioned were and once again the man giggled the question away.

"Even after being asked by two of the best, you still pretend. You really are a professional Prince." The way he said it is what set Sanji off. An unsettling feeling blossomed in his stomach as he took another deep breath. He thanked Orwin and stuffing the packs in his pockets, walked back to the room slowly. He wasn't sure what exactly Orwin had meant, but a nagging doubt was pulling at the back of his mind. His conversation with Orwin had reminded him of their dinner plans with burly-tattoos and he groaned. Another thing that the man said had unsettled him. What did he mean by 'two of the best' and 'professional'? Sanji was hoping his misplaced fears were just that, misplaced. He unlocked the door to apartment 201 and stepped inside. Turning on the lights, he glanced at the bedroom. He was relieved to see the stupid moss-head snoring away to glory. He was wondering what he would do with Zoro when he went to meet Ravena. He obviously couldn't leave him with burly-tattoos. That man gave him a bad feeling. Maybe he'd tie him up in some bar and hope he'd stay put. Sanji flumped onto the sofa and sighed. He still hadn't enquired on the whereabouts of their crew. Hopefully the two meetings that night would help him get some clue as to where the others were and if they were safe. Sanji took another drag and let the nicotine placate his churning mind. As long as he knew exactly where Zoro was at all times, Sanji didn't think finding their way around would be a problem. He smiled as he thought of his date with the beautiful Ravena. Something to look forward to.

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**A/n: I think the future chapters are going to be longer. I wasn't very satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but hopefully it gets you guys thinking. (;**

**Answers for all the mysteries, coming soon! Don't you just _love_ Zoro and Sanji? They are just meant to be together.**

**Review, follow and favorite!**

**Love~**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/n: Alright ladies and gentleman, Chapter 2! Again, I remind you that the main genre is angst. So please do not expect comedy, if at all there is any. Also, this is my first time writing this kind of fic, so forgive me if it seems slightly amateur-ish. Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews! Glad you guys are liking it :D Thank you all for reading~**

**Follow, Favorite and Review~**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Sanji stared at the door that had 207 on it. He wondered if he should knock. Zoro made an impatient noise behind him, voicing what the blonde felt. He checked his watch again. 9:13 pm. They had waited for thirteen fucking minutes already. What the hell was burly-tattoos doing?! Neither of the two wanted to dine with this guy. Sanji was debating whether to kick down the door, when it swung open. Burly-tattoos stepped out wearing half a yukata – he'd pushed the top off his shoulders so the fabric fell loosely around his waist – showing off his tattooed torso. Sanji found himself wearing a tightly stretched smile on his face, even as the man heartily made his way towards the pair.

"Nice to see you two! Shall we?"

'_Atleast apologize for being late bastard.'_ Sanji growled in his head. The man walked down the stairs, two at a time. He called over his shoulder,

"That's right, I haven't introduced myself yet!"

'_What a revelation.'_

"My name is Oberon. You can call me Ron san if you want!" The man 'hohoho'd like he was Santa Claus, making Sanji want to kick him in the back and send him tumbling down the stairs. The trio existed the building and Sanji found himself gaping at the sight.

Everywhere you looked, bright neon signs shouted out names of pubs, bars, strip clubs, love hotels and the like. Every adjacent pole had coloured lights running across them and every sign blinked, winked or blared. Sanji had to blink several times to get his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. Every corner had a scantily clad woman or man trying to woo in a likely customer. Every alleyway had the normal group of shady people lurking about. Oberon called to the two and they made their way down the street. If the lights weren't shocking enough, the sheer number of people who were crowded on the streets was enough to make Sanji feel nauseous. The cook wouldn't have even guessed that there were so many people in the town. Oberon laughed heartily again at the duo's expressions.

"I know it's a little too much to take in all at once, but you don't have to worry. This is the only street that's lit up and has this much activity at night. Simply put, we're in the red-light district of town!" Oberon explained jovially. The sinking feeling started to increase exponentially, when Sanji heard what the man said. All his fears came true, as the gears clicked and he guessed what both Oberon and Ravena had to talk about.

"Oi cook! You'll get lost if you stand around!" Sanji yelped as rough hands grabbed his wrists and pulled him through the overflowing street. It seemed as though the entire town's population had gathered there. People pushed, pulled and shouted around Sanji, several times at him, as they made their way after the burly man. To their surprise, he walked into a normal looking restaurant. Sanji and Zoro followed him to a back room and they sat down around the low tables. Several tattooed men joined them and after brief introductions, Oberon ordered for food and drink. A group of dancing girls came to their table and the mafia men hooted and danced with them. Zoro and Sanji sat quietly behind their table, both refusing to be part of their raucous behavior. Oberon finally settled down beside them. He laughed merrily and raised his mug of beer. Sanji had had just about enough of this shit. He could tell that even though Zoro didn't mind the free booze, the racquet was getting to him. Sanji bent close to Oberon and spoke loudly to make himself audible over the din,

"Ron san! Is there something in particular you wanted to discuss with us?" Oberon's eyes sparkled at Sanji's question. He stood up slowly and motioned for the two men to follow him. Sanji sighed and followed. He turned around to see that Zoro had decided to bring the whole tankard with him. Sanji blanched but when the swordsman raised an eyebrow, didn't comment. They followed Oberon into a side room and when the man slid the door shut, Sanji was startled at how quiet it was in comparison.

"So, it looks like you boys get right down to business huh? Alright then let's start with the most obvious matters. How much?" Sanji's heart sank even as the question left the man's mouth. He knew it. He finally understood what Orwin had meant by 'other places'. They had ended up in a real red-light district. When neither men replied, Oberon raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you two are new?" Sanji gave him a tight smile, his mind racing to come up with some way they could escape from this situation. The heavily tattooed man hohoho'd again and waved a hand.

"Don't worry about it. My boys will show you all the ropes. All you have to know is that we do whatever the customer asks.. for a price." Sanji swore in his head. He saw the same sparkle in Oberon's eyes as he had so often seen appear in the eyes of his beloved navigator at the sound of money. Sanji groaned. They sure as shit weren't getting out of this without a fight. Before he could say anything, Zoro was the one who spoke.

"Oh? And what exactly does 'whatever the customer asks' mean?" Sanji wanted to bang the tankard on Zoro's head.

Oberon wagged his eyebrows. "Exactly what it sounds like."

Zoro shrugged. "Why not? We have nothing to do anyway." Sanji gawked at him like he'd grown another head. The cook stood up and yanked Zoro with him.

"Ron san would you excuse us for a second?" When the man waved his hand, Sanji dragged Zoro out of the room. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, the blonde pulled the other man towards him by the collar and spat in his face,

"What the _fuck _are you _thinking?!_ Do you even understand what he was saying?! He meant we had to-"

"I'm not an idiot dartbrow. I know exactly what he was saying." Zoro interrupted evenly. Sanji stared at him, a mixture of emotions flitting across his face. Finally Zoro smirked and lazily ran a hand through his hair.

"Besides, isn't this the perfect job for you ero-cook? You can flirt with women to your heart's content and even do 'whatever the customer asks'. And the best part is you'll get paid!" Sanji's eyebrow twitched and he rammed the swordsman into the wall.

"Are you mocking me Marimo?! When have I ever been the type to-"

"So what choice do we have?" Sanji's retort died in his throat at the validity of Zoro's question. The same thought had been running through his mind.

"Whether we have a choice or not isn't the point here! We can simply get ourselves out of this with a fight if we have to! Why the fuck would you rather be a-a _play thing_ for people's entertainment?!" Zoro made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

"Let's get two things straight here nosebleed kun. First of all, I wouldn't be here if we had a choice. Did you see how packed the streets were? If we somehow offend this dude then we'll have much bigger problems to worry about. This whole island is a whore hole.-" Sanji winced at how bluntly Zoro said everything that was going on in the cook's mind. "-And our only means of survival till we can get out of here is this. When you're in Rome do as the Romans do." Sanji almost shat himself when Zoro made the old but efficient reference. He slowly nodded.

"And what's the other thing?" Zoro's eyes hardened.

"I'll take care of this guy and you can take care of the next job." Sanji almost asked Zoro what he was talking about.

"I know you were roped into agreeing to work for some big shot female. Shitty cook can't keep his damn pants on when women are involved." Sanji growled, but said nothing. Then he nodded slowly.

"Worst case scenario, you can scare away all the customers and they'll fire you." Sanji said. Zoro smirked.

"It isn't me I'm worried about cook." So saying, the duo made their way back to the room where they had come from. Oberon ushered them in warmly and Sanji noticed a slight edge to his voice when he asked them about their decision. Again, Zoro was the one to answer. He had told the man that since they were new they'd like to take it slow, preferably doing things behind the scenes than upfront and to Sanji's surprise Oberon had agreed.

'_Is he that desperate to get us under his wing or are we missing something entirely?'_ the bad feeling had settled itself firmly in his stomach by now, causing him to feel constantly edgy and nauseous. They had left immediately afterwards and Sanji had trailed behind Zoro as they stepped onto the streets. Just before they hit the crowd, Zoro called over to Sanji,

"It's almost time for your meeting and I'm in need of some booze. So we'll meet up at the apartment by dawn." Before Sanji could say otherwise, Zoro had disappeared into the sea of people. Sanji cursed loudly. He had lost the stupid Marimo again with no hope of finding him. Sanji's anxiety seemed to heighten now that Zoro was no longer by his side. The sense of danger and foreboding clung to him like a thick veil shrouding his senses and making him extremely on edge and on guard for the slightest sign of danger. So obviously Sanji jumped three feet in the air and assumed a defensive stance when a hand clamped down on his shoulders. Ravena simply raised an amused eyebrow. Sanji found himself relaxing and the flirtatious smile once again found itself on his face as he spoke to the woman. They disappeared into one of the side buildings and Sanji desperately tried to prepare himself for the worst.

* * *

Zoro raised an eyebrow as Sanji slammed the bedroom door shut and collapsed on the bed. A moment of silence followed.

"That bad huh?" Sanji sat up abruptly and thrust his face in front of Zoro's. His single visible eye was wide with despair.

"This whole fucking place is like one big sex store! Every fucking person is either buying themselves sex or selling themselves for sex! And the worst part is all those people who work here are considered _sex slaves._" Sanji's voice choked out the word as he tried to tell Zoro the extent of danger their lives were in.

"We'll be _sex slaves _Marimo! How the fuck did you decide to agree to this?!" The blonde's voice had been steadily increasing in volume and by the time he finished speaking, he was nearly screaming and tearing at Zoro's clothes. The swordsman's face hardened and he shoved the other man off him.

"I fucking told you I wouldn't be doing this out of choice! Were you not _seeing _anything?! Every fucking building has atleast fifty people who are ready to take us out the second we do something unlikely! Every alleyway has another dozen and I'm sure those crowded streets have a hundred or more! Now that we're here, our only means of survival is to do what everyone is doing, unless you want to be shot in the head by an enemy you weren't even aware of?!" Zoro shouted back. Sanji's brain was screaming. He couldn't understand why Zoro was acting so cautious. He never for the life of him would have imagined Zoro would accept to be a sex slave rather than fight for their lives. The green-haired man growled and clutched at the empty space next to his waist. And Sanji understood. From the very beginning, Zoro had been the one on guard the most. He realized that the swordsman must have followed him when he came down to get a pack of cigarettes – _how _he had managed to get out of the locked room was beyond him. Possibly he had jumped out through the window – and overheard his conversation with Ravena. Zoro must have then snooped around the town while Sanji was pondering to himself and found out about the security. And he realized that the whole reason for Zoro's acceptance of everything so easily was the simple fact that the man's swords were on the Sunny and not with him. Sanji had assumed that point was Zoro's weakness but instead the cook was coming to realize that the very fact that Zoro was unarmed and vulnerable was causing him to be so alert and aware. Zoro must've realized the extent of danger their lives were in long before Sanji had. And that was the very reason he had forced the cook to accept and go along with their captors. Because the two of them had effectively been captured the second they had ended up on the island. Sanji cradled his head in his hands. Even the very idea of hunting for his Nakama seemed hopeless now. He knew for sure they weren't anywhere close to this island. Or atleast he prayed for the sake of Nami and Robin that they weren't.

"Don't worry yourself to the point of seeming weak kusso cook. We'll get out of this some way or the other. If we can somehow manage to gain the trust of our employers then maybe they'll give us enough freedom and we might just be able to escape." Zoro's voice was low and the swordsman might have been trying to convince the both of them even as he spoke. The very thought of what their lives would be till they somehow managed to escape from this place was enough to make Sanji tear at his hair and cower in a corner. Finally he let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding in.

"We're being kept under watch aren't we?" Zoro nodded once. Sanji had guessed as much. The fact that they had simply gotten food and a place to stay in without so much as raising a finger had seemed extremely suspicious to him.

"Ah that's right." Zoro's gruff voice interrupted Sanji's thoughts of despair. "My name is Roroan." Sanji didn't react.

"Nice name."

"Yeah it's definitely better than Prince."

"Hey! I couldn't think of anything on the spot!"

"Because you were too busy ogling at that witch."

"Don't call her a witch! She's a beautiful, delicate flower with a little more authority than the others!"

"You're _still_ playing along with the 'weak woman' act?! Do you want to die nosebleed kun?!"

"Shut the fuck up Marimo! Atleast I don't go around readily agreeing to get raped by some horny stranger without a second thought!"

"I already told you the reason behind that! You wanna go at it ero-cook?!"

"Bring it on you national treasure!"

The two men breathed heavily as their roaring fit subsided. Zoro flumped back on the bed and shut his one good eye.

"You better get some sleep cook. You're not going to get any from tomorrow."

"I don't need _you_ to tell me what to do moss-head!" Sanji expected an indignant retort, but Zoro simply snorted and tuned his back to the blonde. Sanji lay back on his side of the bed and stared at the ceiling. His stomach hurt from all the anxiety and he was feeling sick to the bone. After what seemed like hours, he turned to his side and stared at the green spiky hair in front of him.

"You better not roll over onto my half of the bed in your sleep kussoyaro or I might accidentally smash your face into the floor."

No response. Sanji watched the steady rise and fall of Zoro's torso and wondered how the fuck he could fall asleep. Sanji muttered under his breath and the other man twitched slightly.

Sanji continued to stare at the broad back as he realized Zoro must be pretending to be asleep, hoping that maybe at some point his mind and body would be too exhausted to protest and play along with his farce. Sanji didn't know for how many hours he stared at the mop of green hair. But at one point he felt himself drift off, his tired mind finally shutting up.

* * *

"So you're the new guy? Prince was it? Nice to meet you." Sanji wanted to flatten the cocky smile off the face of the man in front of him.

"My name's Retta and this is Lon. They're obviously not our real names. Don't expect us to tell you our real names though."

'_I don't fucking wanna know what your real names are.'_

The teen laughed as if he had said the world's funniest joke. He was of average height, had an olive complexion and piercing green eyes. Sanji stared at the smooth skin of his face and wondered to what painstaking extent the brunette went to keep it that way. Sanji thought that he looked to be about 19. The male he had introduced as Lon turned out to be a child. He was at the most 15 or 16 years old. He had wavy blonde hair that any woman would adore and a small petite figure that any older woman would want to crush. His bright innocent smile made the bile rise in Sanji's throat. And he knew that there were many more of the same in every second shop, club and love hotel. As Sanji hadn't made a move to speak yet, Retta rambled on.

"We heard that the boss had found the perfect person to add to the starters and he really chose well! I love your goatee Prince! It's very cool. The boss has a very keen eye for people who can make the starters. And I'm sure you can make your way to the top in a matter of day if not weeks. You really look like a smooth talker-"

"Hey kid, do people pay to listen to you talk or do you just do it out of habit?" Sanji's voice was cold and hard and the boy seemed to pale slightly. The blonde hadn't meant to say what he said. He knew these kids were in the same situation he was in if not worse. He wasn't here to make their lives miserable. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"Sorry.. I didn't mean it that way.. So I was told you'll show me the ropes?" Retta seemed to brighten up in an instant and Sanji wondered how the kid hadn't broken down yet. The brunette rattled off a set of rules and tips and what not and Sanji found himself mutely nodding but not actually paying attention to a word he said. As they walked down the brightly lit corridor, Sanji reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. For a minute he wondered what seemed off and then he realized Retta had stopped talking. He glanced sideways at the kid and looked at the expression of awe as well as fear on his face. As he exhaled a plume of smoke, Lon finally spoke. Sanji was shocked at how soft and young his voice was and his stomach clenched painfully.

"Smoking isn't allowed in here Prince san." Sanji took a couple more drags and then smashed the butt under the carpet.

"Is that right? Well that's going to be a slight problem." And it was. If he didn't have his nicotine, Sanji was sure he would lose it. Retta perked up immediately.

"I'm sure the boss would let you smoke if you asked her! She personally picked you after all!"

Sanji didn't know what the whole deal with 'the boss' was, but he assumed Retta was referring to Ravena. He wondered if these kids were the hosts that saw to the customers every day. When he voiced this question, the brunette confirmed that there were many other hosts who were currently at work.

"We're not called out very often. The starters do most of the work. We're in the list of hosts that are asked for. We don't go out until someone specially requests for us." Sanji found the thought of that even more sickening than simply going out and flirting with a bunch of horny women. Sanji managed to get away from the pair and find a bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror.

'_What the hell is wrong with me?! I can do this stuff in my sleep. Courting beautiful women, tending to their every need, that's exactly what I was born to do!'_ Yet the person who looked back at him didn't seem convinced. Superficial love was fine. But to actually get down and.. Sanji splashed his face with the cold water and stopped himself from thinking any farther. As long as he managed to be part of these so called 'starters' who apparently did the job of hosts, he didn't mind. He was actually pretty sure he'd pull it off without a hitch. But if he had to be part of the group who worked behind the scenes… The very thought unnerved Sanji greatly. He couldn't imagine himself having sex with some random stranger whose name and face he'd probably never see or hear of a second time – as Oberon had mentioned that people of both genders came to 'play' with the hosts – who he'd probably never even remember when he woke up in the morning to find that they had paid for his living expenses for that particular day, Sanji just wanted to dig a deep hole and bury himself inside. Things kept getting worse and he found that his mind was too preoccupied to have any thoughts of escape. He heard several voices outside and Sanji slipped out and past a group of striking young men and down the long winding corridor. As he turned a corner, he came across another group of men, they seemed to be around his age, who varied from heavyset with muscular arms and bulging abs to tall lanky men whose only possible striking feature were their sharp angular jaws and their talent for speech. Sanji bent his head as he swiftly walked past them. Whatever conversation they were having ceased the moment their eyes fell on Sanji and continued the second he disappeared around a corner and out of view. Sanji's chest tightened and for the first time in his life he found himself wishing Zoro was by his side. He regretted having taken separate jobs, the likeliness of seeing Zoro during work was zero. Sanji turned another corner and found that he was lost. The place was a fucking maze and everything looked the same. He didn't know if it was to keep the hosts from escaping, but he sure as hell would never build a place with every second corridor looking the same. Somehow he managed to reach the back entrance to the front of the shop, where several hosts were seated around several tables, flirting and drinking the night away with women of different statures and personalities and ages.

"I'm afraid your job is different Prince." Sanji twirled around to see Ravena standing beside the door, in the shadows. Sanji found himself smiling and reaching for her slender hand as he kissed her knuckles.

"Is that so? I shall gladly take on any job you give me my beautiful lady." Ravena smiled coyly. Her reply mirrored her smile.

"That's good to hear. I almost worried you wanted to work as a plain simple host." Sanji had an aghast expression on his face.

"It was sheer bad luck and lack in my sense of direction that brought me here madam. You do not have to fear as I shall do exactly as you tell me to, being the loyal servant that I am." He bowed with a flourish. Ravena seemed impressed by his performance.

"Well then I am sure you will be gladdened to know that someone has already requested for you. Your guest is waiting in room number 305 on the third floor. Make sure to give her exactly what she wants. She is an extremely important guest." Sanji's heart began to thump painfully against his rib cage. What his employer was saying was obvious. He'd hit it off big and if he screwed up, the consequences wouldn't be something he didn't want to face. Sanji understood. He smiled again and after kissing her hand, turned to find room no. 305. He could feel Ravena's eyes on his back till he entered the elevator and the doors pinged shut. He watched the floor numbers increase and instead of panic, a sense of calm settled on him. He could do this. He _would _do this. His very life might be at stake. He had nothing to lose, but as Nami and Robin's faces flashed across his mind, he steeled himself and decided to go through with whatever was awaiting him in room no. 305.

Sanji straightened his suit and made sure his hair was perfectly set before he knocked smartly on the door. Several agonizing minutes passed and finally there was a click and the door slowly opened. As Sanji's eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the room, his eyes fell upon the person standing at the door. His breath caught in his throat and he found a slow, sexy smile form on his face. The woman in front of him was drop dead gorgeous. She had a perfectly voluptuous figure and the red dress she was wearing clung to her body in all the right places. She had rich creamy brown hair that poured down her shoulders in thick curls and her heavily lidded eyes and long eyelashes bordered large piercing brown orbs. She had one hand on the door and a deliberate smile was playing on her face. Sanji watched as her lips moved, forming words as she spoke,

"Prince I assume?" Her voice was light and fluttery, yet there was a commanding undertone to it. Immediately he surmised that she was the kind who wanted to be the one in control. Sanji reached for her hand in one fluid motion and brought it to his lips. He raised an eye to look into her mesmerizing brown ones and said in a deep, husky voice-

"That would be me, at your service my lady." The slow answering smile that spread on her face as she led him in, was enough for him to momentarily forget his true purpose there.

As she turned around and walked farther in, Sanji took those few seconds to observe his surroundings. It was a luxurious single-bed room. The wallpaper was a deep blue with silver accents and a chandelier hung from the centre off the dark ceiling. The opposite wall had wall length windows that faced the other side of town, away from the neon lights and throng of people. Heavy navy blue drapes hung on either side of the wall length window. She walked up to the window and placed a delicate hand against it's smooth surface. Sanji came to stand at a respectable distance behind her. His posture gave away nothing, but his visible eye was half closed and he had a teasing smirk on his face.

"I must say I'm surprised." The same silvery voice said, as she met his eyes in their reflection on the glass. Sanji raised an eyebrow. She turned and walked towards him. She stopped half a foot away from him. Far enough to have control over the situation, but close enough to set a suggestive atmosphere. She placed a hand on Sanji's forearm and continued to speak,

"My name is Callista and you are far more handsome than Lady Ravena said you'd be." The blonde swooned at the compliment.

"It pleases me greatly that I have exceeded your expectations my lady." He answered smoothly, his eyes never leaving hers. Then she suddenly laughed, her musical voice echoing in the large room. Sanji's eyes danced with amusement as he wondered after the cause for her mirth. She sat down on the bed and pulled him down next to her. Sanji reached out to the bottle of wine on the tepoy in front of them.

"May I offer you some delicious wine to accompany your merriment my lady?" Callista shook her head yes and the blonde poured two glasses. He offered one to the brunette and took the other for himself. She raised her glass in toast and Sanji gently clinked his glass against hers. To his surprise she downed the glass in one gulp. Of course the cook followed suit, so as to not seem rude. As he filled the glasses, she began to talk. They sipped on the crisp wine and spoke in low tones. Though their topics of discussion were random, the air around them seemed to gain a sensual quality. By the time they reached their fifth glass, Sanji could feel a buzz in his head as the lighted headedness settled in. He was surprised he was getting drunk off a couple of glasses of wine and realized with alarm that the bottle must have been spiked. Callista set her glass down and slowly reached towards Sanji. He made no move to stop her or encourage her. He let her take control and initiate the kiss. As their lips met, Sanji found himself staring into dark pools of brown. He wasn't sure if it was because of the wine or something else, but he saw a strange flicker of emotion pass through her eyes. And Sanji could feel his mind shutting down as he leaned into the kiss.

* * *

**A/n: Right then, one question answered. Stay tuned for more twists, turns, danger and emotions.**

**Sneak peak at the next chapter:**

**Sanji is tired from work and returns to the apartment. He's welcomed by a sight that makes him want to hole up in a corner and disappear from the world. What could possibly distress the cook so and what has Zoro gotten himself into? Read on~**

**Follow, Favorite and Review!**

**Love~**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/n: Chapter 3 everyone! #Spoiler: I think I let my sadistic nature over do it a little bit... Ahahahaha... -looks away nervously- A-Anywho! Read on~**

**And thank you again for all the you know whats~ **

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Sanji groaned as he forced his eyes open. The dusky ceiling swam in and out of focus, as Sanji's head pounded at the same time as his heart. It took him several minutes to sit up and look around the room. The blinds that had been pulled shut the previous night were thrown open and the blonde squinted against the bright light pouring in. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair and took a deep breath. He immediately regretted it, as the smell of sex caused his stomach to flip dangerously. He dashed to the ornate bathroom and emptied what little food was in him into the white toilet. He groaned as his head continued to pound and his heart refused to slow down. After several painful minutes, he stood in the shower and let the scorching water flow down his tired body. Sanji stared at his reflection in the glass walls of the cubicle. There were bloody marks all over his body, some darker and bloodier than the rest. Callista had turned out to have a far more.. wild side to her than the cook had anticipated. Not that he hadn't found pleasure in their escapades, it was just that waking up to an empty room, feeling used and worn just didn't sit well with him. He laughed darkly. What was he, a woman? He traced a long scratch mark that went down from his right shoulder to just over his heart. He flinched when it smarted. He eyed several other similar scratches, bite marks and the like and felt all emotion evaporate from him. He sighed, turned off the shower, slipped in to his rumpled suit and walked out of the room without a second glance. To his surprise, no one was there to greet or stop him as he exited the building. Sanji looked up and down at the reasonably empty street which was scattered with a few bar owners here and a few laughing woman there and Sanji had a sudden urge to Diable Jambe the whole place into smithereens. He always prided himself on his ability to control his urges though. He made his way to the apartment, barely 30 steps from his work place, and with a tired nod at Orwin – he noticed that the other man returned his nod but did not smile, something to worry about later – and trooped up the stairs to the second floor. The second he slid the door to room 201 open though, he knew something was wrong. Sanji scrunched his nose and then his eyes widened with alarm as the familiar scent registered in his tired brain.

The scent of overflowing blood.

Sanji hurried in and unceremoniously tripped over something and crashed to the floor. Swearing, he rubbed his head and turned to glare at what he had tripped over right at the entrance – except the sight made his blood run cold.

Zoro was slumped against the wall, his arms and head hanging limply. Sanji's chest tightened as he noticed that a large bit of carpet around the swordsman was a much darker shade than the rest. When he crouched beside the other man, he saw the horrendous wounds on his torso and arms. Sanji choked and his fingers immediately flew to the other's wrist. Heart thudding loudly in his chest, he almost cried out when he felt the faintly fluttering pulse beneath his cold fingers. Knowing there was not much he could do, he carefully hooked his arms under Zoro's and dragged the man to the bedroom. He tried not to stare at the dark trail that followed. He gently flopped Zoro on the bed and frantically looked around at anything he could use to bandage his wounds. Not finding anything clean enough, he took off his jacked and ripped the arm of his shirt with his teeth. His eyes went to Zoro's chest and he froze.

Now that the man was lying on his back, Sanji could see the extent of his injuries. The flesh on Zoro's torso was hanging from several long and deep gashes. The ones that looked the deepest and the most dangerous were the ones that ran along the long scar on Zoro's chest and the one that led from his left ear to mid-chest. A faint dripping sound snapped him out of his stupor and Sanji stared wide-eyed at the crimson liquid dripping down from the near black sheets. He swallowed. Mere bandages were no use here. He opened his mouth and breathed, his voice barely audible,

"Stay alive Marimo. I'll be right back." And he was zooming out the door and down the stairs and to the reception. Orwin didn't even glance up or flinch when Sanji smashed his hands down on the desk.

"Orwin! I need a doctor! Is there a doctor around here?! My friend, he's injured really badly and-"

"I shall check to see if any of the doctors are free." Sanji froze at the cold and low voice that left the short man's mouth. He would've frowned and wondered what the reason for the man's sudden change in behavior was, if his heart wasn't beating erratically and blood pounding in his ears. He nodded slowly, mouth still open, breath coming out in gasps and turned to go back to the room. It took him less than ten seconds and Sanji looked down at Zoro's figure helplessly. The bile rose to the back of his throat as he carefully examined the man's wounds. Zoro's breaths were shallow gasps, but Sanji could only pray that he held out until the doctor arrived. Not knowing what to do, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He walked to the far corner of the room and slid to the floor even as he lit the rolled up paper between his lips. He took a deep breath and was dismayed when even the nicotine didn't help dissolve the boulder sized lump in his throat.

An agonizing 20 minutes and a pack and a half later, he heard a sharp knock on the door. He was up and opening it before whoever was on the other side could even put their hand down. He stared at the woman standing outside. Her long white lap coat and straight long hair coupled with her half rimmed glasses and button up shirt told Sanji Zoro was in good hands. He ushered her in and she walked around the dark patch like it was something she did on a daily basis. He followed her as she went into the bedroom and stood beside Zoro. Her face was carefully devoid of emotions as she surveyed the damage. Nodding to herself, she cast him a side ways glance and bent to dig in her back. Sanji took that as his cue to give her space and let her do her work. He settled back in his corner as he placed another cigarette in his mouth, but didn't light it. He chewed on the end as he watched the stoic woman sanitize her hands, slip on gloves, pull out what looked like a needle and thread and started sewing Zoro back together. Again, Sanji found himself forcing the bile back down as he refused to tear his eyes away. Thankfully from where he was sitting, he couldn't actually see her sewing the flesh back together, just the white thread going down and when she pulled back it was crimson. Sanji realized he was barely breathing, his body stiff and rigid, the mental and physical stress wearing into his body slowly and draining the life out of him. The maroon bed covers were black, Sanji noticed and he wondered how much blood Zoro had lost. That led him to wonder other things and Sanji shut his mind off before it wandered into dangerous territory. After what seemed like agonizing hours, the doctor finally stood up, pulled off her bloodied gloves and let out a slow breath. Sanji was on his feet and by the door in a heart beat. She picked up her bag and stepped in front of Sanji. She eyed him for a second and her stoic mask immediately shattered into something kinder and sadder. He saw the pain and grief that he felt reflected in her eyes and he realized that this woman must not be here by her own free will either. When she spoke, he started.

"He's lost a lot of blood. Too much to be honest. I'm surprised he's even alive. I'll head back to my clinic and bring back some blood and an I.V line. I shouldn't take too long. I've sutured his wounds and stopped the bleeding. Thankfully none of his internal organs were harmed. Only muscle and tissue."

If what she was saying was supposed to make the blonde feel any better, it didn't. The second the words came out of her mouth, the feeling of dread enveloped him completely with it's smothering darkness. He realized that whoever did this to Zoro must have left him to bleed to death. He couldn't breathe. He felt like his chest would burst. His heart hurt so much, he wanted to rip it out of his chest. His throat was constricted and he hadn't even realized he was crying until the woman gently wiped away a tear. The simple gesture comforted him so greatly, he gave her a grateful smile. An unspeakable emotion flickered in her eyes and she stood up straighter. When she spoke her voice was clipped and devoid of the warmth or gentleness it had but a minute ago.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Doctor Amelia. I shall be back in a while. Good day."

So saying, with a swish of her lab coat, she disappeared out the door – making sure to step around the dark patch in the carpet without a second glance. Sanji found his knees buckle and he collapsed heavily on the floor. He landed on his elbow and winced painfully. His mind was a mess, his body was a mess and he didn't know what the fuck had happened to Zoro. This was like Thriller Bark all over again. And Sanji was the one to find him. Except this time there was no one else. He took several shaky breaths, the lump in his throat refusing to budge. He pulled himself onto his rear end and sat staring at Zoro. His breathing had atleast gone from short gasps to longer ones. Sanji wanted to tear at his hair at the pained expression the swordsman's contorted face bore. Again, it seemed like hours passed as he sat there waiting for Amelia's return. When he heard the sharp knock, he didn't hesitate in throwing the door open and hurriedly ushering the woman in. She struggled with the bags in her hands and Sanji grabbed the I.V stand. She shot him a grateful look and they trooped into the bedroom. Amelia set the stand down beside the bed and went about connecting the I.V line to Zoro's hand. With a jolt Sanji noticed that Zoro's normally olive coloured skin was almost translucent. His heart clenched painfully and he felt his vision blur again. He watched the crimson liquid flow down through the tube and into Zoro. Amelia turned around to look at him. He noticed that her face had lost it's hard mask but her eyes were still expressionless. Before she could say anything though, Sanji's chivalrous nature kicked in.

"Could I offer you a cup of tea?" the woman looked shocked for a good minute before she slowly nodded. He smiled – or atleast tried to – and headed to the kitchen. He paused half way there and almost screamed in frustration. They had no food. Still, he continued to the kitchen and pulled open the cupboards. He stared in shock at the stuffed cupboards, with all kinds of food and ingredients Sanji could possibly need to prepare a banquet for a queen. He rushed around the reasonably large kitchen, pulling open doors, sliding open drawers and in general thanking the gods for giving him something to thank them for. He pulled out a mug, thought better of it and pulled out another one and set about making tea. Ten minutes later he was placing the tray down on the low living room table in front of the worn sofa. Amelia was sitting awkwardly on it, her back painfully straight, her feet stuck together and her hands draped one on top of the other on her knee. Sanji pulled a chair up and settled down on it. He made a motion to the steaming cup of tea.

"It's not poisoned." He didn't know why he said it, but the way she flinched told a whole other story. She eyed the mug warily for another moment, before letting her manners take over and picked it up. She took a small sip and a second later her eyes lit up with a strange light. She took another, longer sip and her shining eyes fell on Sanji. The blonde felt his lips tug upwards as he saw the expression on her face.

"Chamomile." The cook said simply, as an answer to her wid-eyed gaze. Amelia started and flushed slightly. She nodded and once again surprised Sanji with her warm, gentle voice.

"It's very… calming. I've never drunk anything like it before." She took several sips as she spoke and her frame visibly relaxed into the sofa. She relaxed her knees and sunk lower into the comfortable couch. Sanji couldn't help himself, as he started to explain about the tea.

"Chamaemelum nobile comes from Rome and Matricaria chamomilia comes from Greece. They have similar appearances and uses. Only the fresh or dried flowers are used to produce the aroma and give it it's wheaty texture. It has a soothing effect and is mildly sedative (Amelia sat up straighter but was still reasonably relaxed) which helps to relax the tired mind and body after a hectic day or as an aid for a good night's sleep. It can even be added to a tubful of warm water to create a soothing chamomile bath that will take away all the stress and strain from the body." Sanji ended proudly and he raised his head higher at the look of amazement on Amelia's face.

"That's- You really know a lot.." She said slowly. His breath caught at his mistake. He nodded and flashed her another smile.

"I didn't decide to work here by choice." Amelia's eyes flashed and Sanji thought for a moment she would get up and leave. But then she seemed to calm down and stared at the ripples in the tea.

"I-" She started, unsure and insecure if she should even be talking like this to a stranger. Especially considering where they were, but maybe for exactly the same reason, she continued, her voice slightly bolder. "I didn't choose to work here either." Her voice dropped so low by the end of her sentence; Sanji almost missed what she said. Then she took a deep breath and wide brown eyes locked onto sky blue ones.

"But you.. You're lucky.." Sanji didn't bother asking what the woman meant. He was sure he wouldn't understand the sentiment behind that statement. Just as abruptly as the conversation had started, it ended. And Sanji was actually thankful. He was too drained to think of topics to converse about. And he found himself chiding the fact that for the first time in his life, he was unable to comfort a woman. Several moments later Amelia placed the mug down, picked her bag up and stood up to leave. She turned and walked straight towards the door without another word. Sanji watched as she angled her body and he expected her to walk around the patch on the carpet, but to his surprise she stopped and turned to look at him. Her expression looked like she wanted to say something, but then she abruptly turned around and went to the door. Again she surprised him by stopping and turning around. The woman had a desperate look on her face and Sanji found himself smiling gently, if only to soothe her. He was alarmed when tears pooled in her eyes. She let out a choked sob.

"They're not going to let you go. Whoever did that to him-" She motioned towards the bedroom. "-left him for dead. I don't know if they'll come after you next, so make sure to keep in their good books. The only way to leave the island is to get sold off as a slave, or to be kidnapped by pirates, (Sanji almost laughed at that) or by death." Her face was deathly pale and she was doing all she could to not break down. He nodded gratefully, assuming she was done. She shook her head and the same strange expression passed across her face.

"I'll state in my report that he died from blood loss. I'll be honest with you and say I do not know if he'll survive the night. But if he does.." She had a stricken expression on her face. Like what she was about to tell Sanji could cost her her life. And it just might, he thought worriedly. He tried to stop her, but she waved him off.

"I'll feel better if I do this. You're a good man and I'm sure your friend is too. I'll state that he's dead so make sure that he somehow escapes without alerting suspicion. He might not leave the island without you, but atleast he'll be free." Amelia choked on the last word, like it was taboo.

"Your life will be in danger until you end up in the same situation as him, or escape somehow. Either ways, I'll tell them he's dead so you don't have to worry." The implications of what this woman was saying hit the blonde hard. She was saying that even if she was tortured – or worse, raped – she would still say Zoro was dead. He gulped. He wanted to refuse her offer for the sake of her life, but he knew that would be like slapping her across the face or worse, making her dance naked in the middle of the street. This was a matter of one's dignity and he would never insult a woman even if his life was on the line. So he did the only thing he could, he kissed her hand and hoped his smile showed her how grateful he was. Apparently it did. She blinked away the tears and offered him a small smile.

"I'll be back again later to change the packet of blood." So saying, she disappeared out the door. Sanji trudged upto the couch and collapsed on it. He was sure it was nearly nightfall and that he would have to get ready for work, but his body wasn't listening to him.

'_Just for awhile…'_ was his last coherent thought, before his mind sunk into the abyss of sleep.

* * *

Sanji woke up with his heart pounding and his ears ringing. The smell of dried blood was proof enough that none of it had been a dream. He shuddered and suddenly a jolt ran through him. He was feeling just one emotion as he walked up to the bedroom and looked down at Zoro's unconscious form.

Rage. Cold, mind-blowing fury. He wanted to kick the people who hurt Zoro and rip their bodies apart slowly with his hands. He watched as Zoro's heavily bandaged chest rose and fell slowly. He couldn't leave him. He was too afraid to return to an empty room. Amelia had said she'd come back later, but he wasn't sure when later was. He couldn't risk losing Zoro. He was the only person here Sanji trusted with his life and his life was already hanging by a thread, as was Zoro's. But he knew that not going would escalate the problem. He was in no mood to fight fifty blokes when he was half dead and could barely stand. As he pondered on what to do, there were two short raps on the door. Sanji stiffened and the back of his neck tingled. He slowly moved to the door and reached for the lock. His breath stilled as he pulled it open by an inch. Sanji almost sighed in relief when he saw Orwin –almost, because Orwin's face was pale and emotionless and his eyes were cold and unfriendly. Sanji almost didn't recognize him - outside the door. The man didn't wait for Sanji to speak.

"Lady Ravena and Master Oberon would like a word with you." The bespectacled man hurried away and Sanji almost called out after him. With one last weary glance down the corridor, Sanji changed hurriedly, shot a look at the bedroom and locked the door. He hurried downstairs, but just as he passed room 207, there was a sharp cough and someone cleared their throat. Sanji paused mid stride. He turned his head slowly and saw a long red finger gesture from a slit in the door. Sanji's breath caught again, as he steadied himself and walked towards the door. As Sanji neared, it swung open and he carefully entered. The second the door shut behind him, the back of his neck prickled.

"It's good to see you again Prince." The low, silky voice made him shiver, but Sanji found a smile forming on his face with practiced ease. He swirled around and pulled Ravena's gloved hand to his mouth in one smooth and fluid motion. He noted with satisfaction that the woman seemed impressed. Once he had let go of her, she motioned inside. The apartment was the same as theirs, except more poshly decorated and instead of a bedroom, it was just one large hall with several couches and tables. Sanji eyed the farthest couch with apprehension. Oberon sat on it and he looked none too happy. Actually, as the duo neared, the man began to openly scowl. His small eyes followed Sanji like a predator, as he moved to sit in front of him. Ravena sat beside Sanji, as though to make sure Oberon wouldn't shoot him suddenly. Sanji found little comfort in that fact.

"Now now, there's no need to look so furious." Ravena's voice was low and gently chastising, yet it held an authoritative undertone to it. Oberon shot her a look but the scowl lessened. He turned to Sanji again.

"We have a slight problem on our hands Prince." Sanji smiled tightly, trying with all his might not to kick the other man's face in.

"And that is?" He was surprised at how calm his voice was. Oberon raised an eyebrow.

"Your _friend_-" He hissed the word with so much venom, Sanji thought he could've killed him with just that. "-has caused a lot of problems for my establishment. We had to teach him a lesson, I'm sure you know-" And Sanji almost lost it, when a nasty grin spread on Oberon's face. "-but that doesn't change the fact that I've lost quite a lot of customers." Oberon made a clicking sound with his tongue and glanced at Ravena before continuing.

"So Lady Ravena and I, have come to an agreement." Sanji didn't fucking give a rat's ass about what agreement they had come to. He just wanted to smash the tattooed fucker's face in so bad, he'd be unrecognizable.

"We decided that you will work for both of us and take on whatever job we give you without question." Sanji's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Oberon raised his hand. His eyes were hard and had a deadly shine to them.

"I just got a report from Dr. Amelia saying your friend perished. I'm so sorry for you. He'll be missed." Sanji stood up abruptly, his face burning, his fists clenched, teeth gritted and eyes wide, as he stared down at the other man. The mocking tone with which Oberon had said it, was what triggered Sanji's rage. But a hand that slithered up his arm, made him catch himself. He didn't even need Ravena to say anything for him to sit back down. He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees and clasped, a challenging smirk on his face.

"Is that right? Yes, I heard the same thing from her when she arrived at my door step." Sanji's voice was low and threatening, he watched with immense satisfaction as Oberon looked uncomfortable. He knew that their farce had failed. The blonde could tell just from the tone of voice, that the whole thing had been planned. Zoro's injuries were not enough to kill him, was something even Oberon knew. And Sanji knew exactly what he had to do here. If he wanted to let Zoro live, he had to go with whatever Ravena and Oberon told him. Sanji snorted out loud and two pairs of eyes watched him – one with amusement and one warily – as the blonde ran a hand through his hair. Then he nodded at the burly man, the challenging smirk never leaving his face.

"I accept. I shall do whatever you ask of me without question." Then he stood up and adjusted his tie.

"Is that all?" Oberon grunted and Ravena smiled at him. Sanji briskly strode out of the room and down the corridor. When he reached room 201, he stiffened, hand on the knob, as he felt it turn easily. Sanji was sure he'd looked the room. He entered slowly, surprised that the lights were on. When he heard noises from the bedroom, he hurried inside, mind and body on high alert, but he immediately relaxed when he saw a figure in a white lab coat straighten up. At the noise, Amelia turned and offered him a small smile. Sanji couldn't help but think she looked so much younger when she smiled. Amelia gestured to Zoro.

"His breathing has stabilized. He should be conscious in another couple more days." Sanji found himself relaxing at the news.

"Amelia san, forgive me if I'm being rude, but how did you get in?" The woman flashed him a look of surprise.

"Orwin let me in. I assumed you had told him of my arrival, because when he saw me, he escorted me here and gladly opened the door for me."

"And how long ago did you arrive?"

"Barely a minute before you did." She wasn't lying. Sanji had felt the warmth on the doorknob as he had entered. She had to have arrived just before he had. He found himself smirking again. She gave him a bewildered look. He shook his head. He knew that the only reason Orwin had let her in so graciously, was because Ravena and Oberon had told him to. They had known Sanji would accept whatever they had to say without a fight. He wanted to kick himself. They had been playing into the enemies' hand right from the beginning. Amelia's voice interrupted the blonde's thoughts.

"I'll stay here tonight." Her voice was soft when she said it, but the implied meaning caused Sanji to smile gratefully at her.

"_I'll stay here tonight, so go do what you have to without worry."_

* * *

**A/n: I just realized that there are already quite a few OCs in this story and it's only chapter 3. Probably the most number of them compared to my other fics. Well then, I hope I have successfully stepped into the first genre of my story. I feel sorry for Zoro, but like I said I'm a sadist through and through. So well ahahaha~ Ladies and gentlewomen, [and fanboys too ofc] thank you for reading!**

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Sneak peak at next week's chapter: Sanji finds that being a sex slave isn't as easy as just getting fucked and fucking. Will he be able to save Zoro? Will Zoro survive long enough for them to leave the island? Stay tuned for Chapter 4!**

**Love~**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sanji lay on his side, one arm under the pillow and the other clasping the sheet under him. A soft silky blanket covered his naked and abused body. He took in a ragged breath as a tear rolled down his nose and stained the white sheet. He had literally been raped the previous night. And it wasn't women that were involved. Several minutes passed and he slowly eased himself into a sitting position. The movement caused a jolt of pain to shoot up his spine and he winced. Taking several unsteady breaths, he stood up, the silky material sliding off his body to reveal several dark blotches and cuts all over his pale skin. He really wondered if the customers were allowed to mistreat the hosts that badly. _Sex Slaves_ his mind corrected him. He tried not to groan at the pain in his waist, as he limped to the bathroom. He let the tears fall as he stood under the torrent of water. This was the one thing he had wished would never happen. Even those two years he spent with the Newkama seemed something to remember with joy compared to what he had to go through the previous night. He shut his eyes and immediately a scene played on the back of his eyelids. Big men, huge muscles, dimpled chins, barely clothed, tattooed all over – Sanji doubled over and threw up. Through his blurry vision he noticed that his vomit contained nothing except bile, water and blood. He almost scoffed at himself. It had been years since he had felt so weak, so vulnerable, so utterly helpless. And it had been years since he had gone without food for several days. Yes, he'd barely eaten. Though his pantry was overflowing with food that would make Luffy's eyes sparkle – he smiled at the thought of his Captain – he couldn't stomach them. He would just go back at dawn, lie on the couch staring at the ceiling, till he figured it was time to go back to work.

It had been nearly a week. Amelia had offered to shift Zoro to her clinic-cum-house in the normal part of town and that was the last time he'd seen the man. The doctor had visited once, bringing him news of Zoro's condition, but otherwise Sanji was completely alone. The blonde had refused to live in the apartment after Zoro was moved out, so he now lived in one of the rooms that live-in hosts stayed in, in Ravena's building. He had also not seen or heard from either the woman or Oberon, all his orders came through other hosts or slips of paper. He stepped out of the room, his mind rushing through the days he had passed. He could barely remember. There had been a blonde woman who had nearly cut him up in her psychotic madness, a tall lanky man who stunk of beer and had long hair that covered his eyes, the people on the street who ogled, hooted and felt him up as he stood in the corner like any other slut, the old ugly hag who had forced herself on him and the group of men from last night. His worst memories were of the previous night and when he was made to stand on the streets. He had been a second away from losing it and killing every single fucking person within three metres of him. But of course, just as he had lifted a leg, a flash of green had flitted through his mind, and his will had crumbled. Zoro's life was in his hands. He would sacrifice himself if it meant the other could have the time to be nursed back to health. He wondered if Zoro had regained consciousness.

A sudden wave of dizziness overcame him and he slumped against the wall. He groaned as his shoulder collided heavily and the pain shot through his tired brain.

"Prince!" Sanji blinked at the ground as it swirled in and out of focus. He raised his eyes with great effort, a blue eye meeting emerald ones and then everything was black.

Aaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoa

When Sanji woke up, long shadows were playing across the room he was in. He figured it was nearly dusk. His body hurt like a bitch. His head was trying to rip him up from the inside. His vision kept swaying and blurring. He could barely sit up before he collapsed heavily into the mound of pillows behind him. His breathing was ragged, his throat was on fire, his chest heaved and wheezed and Sanji had a sudden urge to kill himself. Just as the thought flitted through his mind, the door opened and Retta walked in with a plate full of food and drink. One look at the food and Sanji was throwing up by the side of the bed. Retta helped him back onto the bed and mopped the sweat from his brow. The cook had grown to quite like Retta, as their living quarters were rather close. The boy was extremely talkative and that was a good distraction for him. The boy remembered nothing from before the sex house and Sanji almost pitied him.

The blonde shut his eyes and relaxed into the soft pillows. Hell if he couldn't work that night. He could barely stand up. Retta was babbling on about how he needed to eat and Sanji just waved him out. As the boy left, he felt his tired mind drift off again.

Sanji was woken up rudely when something cold and hard was pressed against his cheek. He yelped and jumped away, eyes wide. He glared up at Risela as she smirked down at him. He would have stood up, but just that simple movement had exhausted his body and it refused to move. Risela waved a can of something in his face.

"I'm afraid you do not have the luxury of taking a sick leave Mr. Prince. You will have to drink this and be on the streets in twenty minutes." She dropped the can on the bed and walked towards the door. She looked back at him, a blank look on her face, as she eyed him with distaste.

"And do something about your hair and your face. You look disgusting."

Sanji snorted as the door closed shut. Looked disgusting? He _felt _disgusting. Every part of his body burned and he just wanted to scratch himself till he bled to death. Sanji eyed the can, slowly opened it and downed it in one go. Fuck precaution. His life couldn't get any worse. In fact, he was so sure Oberon and Risela wouldn't try to kill him but prolong his suffering, sometimes he almost wished his food or drink was poisoned.

The second the cool liquid went down his throat, he felt a jolt pass through him. The result was instantaneous. His mind was alert, his surroundings standing out in sharp contrast against the dark shadows, his skin almost translucent in the pale moonlight. He slowly slid off the bed and was amazed at how fluidly his body was responding. He laughed despite himself. His blue eye was wide and the adrenaline pumping through his blood pushed him to get up and get dressed. He was clothed and satiated and out the door in ten minutes. His eyes were still wide and his brain was on over drive. He didn't know what that liquid was, but he felt great. He felt better than great. He passed by a mirror and eyed himself. He was clad in a white shirt that was made from an extremely flimsy material. It clung to his shoulders and fell down his bare chest in transparent folds. There was literally no point of the shirt, as it was see through. He wore tight black pants underneath that shimmered every time he moved. His body was hot and needy and his breaths came out in pants. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright and shining. His hair fell down his face in a messy yet attractive way, blond strands shining in the dim light. He smirked at his reflection. Despite everything, he had to admit, he was one sexy monster.

He hummed at the back of his throat and literally skipped down to the streets. His brain seemed to be screaming something, but he was too high on whatever shit he had drunk, to care. He slipped out and found an empty corner. He leaned against the wall provocatively, a sexy smile spreading on his face. His eyes were heavily lidded and his lips parted. He could feel the hot looks and lustful glances from the crowd. His eyes scanned the throng of people and he was shocked at the striking sharpness of his vision. Details screamed everywhere, a snag in a woman's skimpy red dress, a bald patch on a man's wigged head, the excess make up on a whore's patchy face, the silver belts on a tall man's boots, he could see everything. A breathy laugh escaped his throat as he continued scanning the crowd. There was a flash of green and his body stiffened. He straightened up slightly as blue eyes darted back and forth, desperately trying to spot the green again. He was just about to turn his head to the side, when calloused fingers roughly turned his head back. He raised his eyes to stare into the face of the same longhaired blonde he remembered from before. The man had a savage grin on his face and Sanji found himself smirking back playfully.

"Well well, looks like it's fate that we meet again my Prince."

Sanji shivered at the low rumbling voice and he panted lightly through parted lips. His eye was still half closed and he pushed himself closer to the other, desperate for the contact.

"Mmm looks like it is." His gaze flickered to the other man's chapped lips and he found himself leaning in, his body betraying his screaming mind, like he no longer had control over whatever he said or did. He hummed, a smile alighting his face as he closed his eyes and leaned closer.

His mind was furiously screaming, telling him to stop, telling him to back away, cursing himself for drinking whatever the fuck was in that filthy can, his last coherent thought rang through his mind like the jangling of bells.

'_Zoro! Where the fuck are you?!'_

aoaoaoaoaoaooaoaoaoa

Zoro shivered despite the stifling heat and pulled his coat closer around himself. It had nearly been a week since he had gotten roughed up by Oberon's hoodlums. It wasn't his fucking fault those whores were trying to get in his pants. It wasn't his fucking fault when they started to argue who was more beautiful and had turned to him for an answer. It wasn't his fucking fault he had been honest and told them they all looked like a bunch of prostitutes. What the fuck, it was true! They were a bunch of prostitutes for all he cared, desperately trying to get in his pants. So of course when they started screaming and calling for the manager, he had expected a fight. He had been called to a back alley and had been surrounded by twenty or thirty hefty, large, tattooed men. He was managing just fine until one of them took out a picture. A picture of a certain blonde man he knew, the overconfident smirk on his face pissing the swordsman off even more than he already was. He snarled despite himself and the thugs had misunderstood. The guy with the picture had thrown it up and a second later it was pinned to the wall by a knife. Zoro's eye had narrowed, as the implications were clear. He either gets beaten up or risks taking the fight to the stupid curly brow cook. He smirked and continued to struggle and resist, knowing dragging the cook in meant that it greatly increased their chances of survival and escape.

Now Zoro wasn't one to run to the cook for help. Hell if he ever asked the fucker for anything other than booze and food – and even that he chose to do himself. But without his swords, Zoro was useless. Sanji could easily take these thirty fuckers down with a swing of his feet. Despite not wanting to admit it, Sanji – not counting Luffy – was probably the only one in their crew who could stand up to him. The swordsman refused to admit that he trusted Sanji to take his back when they were in a pinch. Yet there he was, drawing the fight to the other, a savage grin on his face. He had almost reached his destination. Almost. And then everything had gone wrong. Oberon must've guessed what he was trying to do and given the order for a change of plans. Zoro's skull cracked as an iron bat struck him hard on the back of his head. He knew the damage wasn't severe. Maybe a heavy concussion tops. He was way too thick-headed – as the cook often spat – to undergo major damage from an underhanded move like that. He growled, spun around, grabbed the bat and smashed the man's brains into the pavement. He let out a savage roar at the feel of the metal in his hands. Ah the joy of holding something. He trashed everything within three metres of him, growling and shouting the whole time. But at one point, he tripped and went sprawling across the filthy alley. The men had pounced on him, ripped his shirt to shreds and ripped his chest even more. He bit back the screams as the knife slowly and meticulously cut through his flesh. He thrashed and kicked but his arms and legs had been pinned down. As he watched the blood stain the already disgusting alley, his vision blurred. The last thing he remembered was Oberon's maniacal laugh and the picture of Sanji pinned to the wall, as he was carried away.

Zoro sighed and let his eye flit across the crowd to the shops on either side. He was nearing the apartment where they had previously stayed, when a commotion broke out behind him. He rolled his eye and continued to push through the crowd. Some horny despo was screaming at someone else that some whore belonged to him. He sighed. Not his fucking business which whore got laid by which desperate bastard. Just as he spotted the door of the building, he froze. A smooth, silky voice floated to him through the din of the crowd around. Now Zoro prided himself for his animalistic senses, but that voice.. he couldn't forget it even if he was wiped clean of all his memories.

His head shot around and scanned the pavement for the blonde. A satisfied growl escaped his throat as he spotted his target. Zoro waded through the throng of people, pushing and digging his way through. He was thrown out of the crowd and nearly lost his balance as he skidded to a stop at the corner. He raised his head and his eyes bulged at what he saw. The ero cook was wearing the skimpiest outfit he had ever seen – he wasn't going to admit that the man actually looked really good despite the whorish outfit - on the blonde. But that wasn't what shocked him. It was the way the man was behaving that caused the disgust to roil and boil in his stomach. Sanji was swaying between two men - one a tall lanky cowboy kind of man with long dirty blonde hair that covered his eyes and the heavy stench of beer that Zoro could smell from so far and another short, stubby man who was waving angry little fists as he shifted uncomfortably, possibly due to the huge bulge in his pants. – a sensual smirk on his face, eyes half lidded and lips parted. One hand was on the chest of the tall man, stroking lightly and playfully, while the other made sweeping, exaggerated gestures that were extremely suggestive. Zoro noticed that it was only the short man who was so riled up – Sanji being the cause and Zoro knew the blonde was thoroughly enjoying it – while both the cook and the cowboy just had smirks on their faces. In the end, the stubby man seemed to give up and decide to jump the cook, causing the cowboy to kick him in the balls. The man fell to the ground, jerking and trembling.

The swordsman scowled as he noticed the man started to foam in the mouth. He sighed and diverted his gaze back to his target, knowing the short man didn't have long. He stepped forward just as the two began to move towards Sanji's work place and grabbed the blonde's wrist. The other slowly turned around, a slightly annoyed look in his eyes, until he froze when he spotted the person who stopped him. A flash of emotion flitted across his face, but was covered by the same lazy smirk as he turned around, drew the cowboy closer, whispered something in his ear and – Zoro nearly puked from disgust – kissed him. The man eyed Zoro wearily but finally nodded and went into the building. Sanji turned back to Zoro and the smile fell a little.

"Zoro…" He breathed, stepping forward. The swordsman found himself smirking despite wanting to punch the cook in the face.

"You've officially turned into a total whore."

Sanji's eyebrow twitched but his eyes closed half way and the sensual smirk took it's place on his face again.

"And you've officially come back from fucking Satan. How was it? Was he any good?" The hair on the back of Zoro's neck prickled at the sound of the low, silky voice.

"Is that how you talk to your customers?" Zoro's voice was low and strained. He didn't realize what he said could be taken in a different way, until he saw Sanji's eyes widen. Zoro immediately flushed and let go of the other.

"I meant your other customers! Not-" He was cut off by a pair of lips smashing against his own. Zoro's one good eye widened as Sanji's blue one stared back, while pushing the other farther down the sidewalk. Before Zoro could react, he was pressed against the wall in the middle of a dingy alley, Sanji's face inches from his.

"Customer eh? Didn't know you saw me like that Marimo." Zoro tried to shove the other off but winced as his aggravated wounds screamed. Sanji smirked some more and pushed himself against Zoro, their bodies flush against each other, his parted lips right in front of Zoro's.

"What the fuck are you playing at?" It was a low growl and the smirk fell from Sanji's face. Blue eyes stared into gunmetal ones, as the cook shifted a little. Then he smiled and the swordsman's chest tightened at the sight.

"Absolutely nothing shitty swordsman. Why the fuck are you here? Shouldn't you be lying half dead in Doctor Amelia's clinic?" Sanji's voice was soft and devoid of emotion, atleast until it broke in the end and the man looked away, the same emotion as before playing across his face. Zoro snorted and looked at the swarming street.

"As if I'd die from something like that." After a long silence, Sanji replied.

"What did you do? Fuck Oberon's favorite whore?" Zoro almost winced at how blunt and brash Sanji's way of talking had become compared to his cooing polite and frilly speech. Instead, he smirked.

"Something like that." The light that lit Sanji's eye reminded the swordsman that this was still the same man he knew. The same man he swung his swords at, never actually trying to hurt severely, but always enjoying the pointless brawls. He was the same man that tossed a bottle of Sake at Zoro after a particularly difficult fight and without a word walked away. He was the same man who would spit and jab at him with ridiculous names and insults, yet never meant the insults. He was the same man who went googly eyed whenever his beloved Nami swan and Robin chwan said something, his body squiggling and his pea sized brain malfunctioning at their beauty. He was the same man Zoro had woken up to find on the island and the same man whose picture had been pinned to a wall. Zoro's eyes flicked up and down, drawing in Sanji's attire. When he looked back at the other, he saw the same smirk on his face.

"Say, why did you come here?" Sanji leaned closer - causing Zoro to back as far into the wall as he could - and asked in a slow drawl, his tongue drawing out the R in 'here'.

"Isn't that obvious ero cook?" Zoro's palms were pressed flat against the wall, as if he was willing it to disappear. Sanji's eye closed further and he pushed his body flat against Zoro's.

"No it fucking isn't Marimo. Because I fucked and got fucked by a whole bunch of horny sluts and manwhores just to make sure they wouldn't go dice you up and serve you to me on a silver platter. I made sure you escaped this fucked up hell hole, not so you could waltz back in here you fucker." Sanji's voice was so low, his lips barely moving, he was literally hissing by the end. Zoro's eye narrowed.

"There's no fucking way I'm leaving you here while I get nursed back to health somewhere else." There was a hard edge to his voice and he grabbed Sanji's chin hard enough to bruise and twisted the other's face up to meet his eye.

"So I'm asking you again, what the fuck happened." Crystal blue orbs stared back into his, revealing no emotion whatsoever. The Sanji yanked his head back and pinned Zoro to the wall. He sneered at the man.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened you fucking national treasure." Then he smashed his lips against Zoro's, mashing them together so Zoro's indignant grunt was lost in the other's throat. Sanji slipped his tongue out and pried the swordsman's mouth open. He slid his tongue in and looked Zoro square in the eye. The seaweed haired man's blood boiled at the obvious challenge and he tangled his own tongue with the blonde's, both men battling furiously to gain the upper hand. Sanji's arms snaked around Zoro's broad shoulders and tangled themselves in the other's hair. He almost laughed at how bristled and course it was. But he was surprised when Zoro wound his arms around the cook's waist and forced their bodies closer.

Zoro didn't know what he was doing, but the look in Sanji's eye told him something was wrong. From the way he was behaving itself, Zoro could tell there was something more to it than just whatever had happened in the past few days. As Zoro's tongue invaded Sanji's mouth, his eye widened at the bitter-sweet taste in the other's mouth. He pulled away, causing their lips to untangle with a loud slick and he glared bloody murder at Sanji. The other just raised an unimpressed curlybrow.

"You stupid moron, I ought to beat you to pulp right now." Zoro's voice was literally a growl now and Sanji could barely understand what he was saying. He tried to pull away, But the swordsman held him in place.

"Did they give you something to drink?" Sanji's eyebrow disappeared in his bangs at the obvious question.

"Of course they did. All they wanna do is drink and fuck-"

"That's not what I meant!" Zoro snapped. "Did they give you a small bottle or vial or something?"

"How 'bout a can?"

Zoro's eye nearly popped out of it's socket.

"A _can?_ You drank a _can _of aphrodisiac?!" Sanji stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

"What?"

Zoro groaned and shut his eye. He rammed his forehead against the cook's for good measure, satisfied with the surprised yelp.

"What the fuck was that for you-" This time Sanji was the one who was cut off by Zoro's mouth. He grunted in surprise and bent backwards just as the other bent forwards over him. Sanji was nearly half bent at the waist, as he finally reciprocated in the kiss, his eyes drifting shut.

The arm around the blonde's waist tightened and Sanji groaned into Zoro's mouth as their hips ground together. They pulled back, both gasping for air and Zoro smirked at the wanton expression on Sanji's face.

"Looks like we'll have to take care of this huh?" The swordsman ground his hips against the cook's, earning him another low groan. But suddenly, Sanji had wrenched out of his grip and turned away, smoothing his skimpy outfit.

"Sorry, but I can't do anything unless you pay. Plus I've already a customer whose willing to cough up quite a bit." Sanji's blue eye glanced at Zoro over his shoulder indifferently, though the painful bulge in his already tight pant said otherwise.

"Not my fault I had to drink a can of aphrodisiac." Actually it was, but he wasn't going to tell the Marimo that. Zoro simply looked on unimpressed.

"So what happens if I don't buy you?"

"You get a replay of what happened to you before." Sanji turned around and started to walk back to his waiting guest, he knew he'd be punished for dawdling. The blonde swallowed the lump in his throat yet his confident stride gave nothing away.

Zoro simply watched the other man walk out of the alley and towards the building where he 'worked'. The swordsman looked at the ground in between his feet and scowled. He didn't know what had happened – especially why he had acted the way he did – or so he was trying to convince himself, but it was obviously failing. This encounter made it clear to Zoro what their roles were. Zoro was supposed to be dead and Sanji was paying the price to keep the farce alive. He swallowed and clutched at his throat. It was too fucking much. There was no fucking way he was going to let the stupid cook sacrifice himself so Zoro could escape using death as an excuse. But he knew there was nothing he could do. There was no way he could come back here and work like before, he'd rather be dead. And he knew what Sanji was doing was for him. Despite how the other acted. He knew it perfectly well. Simply because he would do the same had he been in the blonde's place. Anything for a Nakama. Zoro clenched his fist and took a deep breath. Yet he didn't want to owe the other, Sanji least of all. He already owed him for keeping his mouth shut about the Thriller Bark incident. He wasn't going to fucking owe him any more. Especially not his life. Yet Zoro found himself walking away, keeping an eye out for someone who might shoot him through the head. He knew that despite what the other thought, Sanji was safer where he was than out in the open.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/n: I just realised that in all the stories I've written, I've some how (unconsciously) tortured all my favorite characters. Guess my sadistic nature is taking over my conscious actions. #proudofit.**

**So here's Chapter 5 as promised~**

**Follow, Favorite and Review!**

**Love~**

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**Chapter 5**

Zoro pulled the hood of his cloak low over his face as he neared the end of the red-light district. A bunch of large guards, Oberon's men probably, stood at the intersection where the red-light district's main street abruptly ended and continued on as the main street of the town. Zoro almost laughed at the shocking contrast between the over populated street he was on and the desolate one behind the men. He spotted another group exiting and merged in like he was a part of them. Of course that didn't work. The men spotted him immediately and made towards their group. Zoro instinctively reached for his swords, but his hands clutched nothing but air. He growled in frustration as the men neared. He was sure his wounds had opened and he was in no position to take on all of them. But it seemed the goddess of luck was on his side. A scuffle broke out behind them and a gunshot sounded. The men cursed and hurried to the scene. Zoro slipped past the startled group and hid in the shadows of the town's main street. Compared to the red-light district's main road, this one barely had a street light or two, several houses and stores cramped together beside tall apartment complexes and – the swordsman didn't have any qualms about how dark and devoid of life it was in comparison – a few drunk men lying on the streets. Otherwise it was eerily silent and empty. The sounds and noises coming from behind him were the only things that interrupted the deafening silence and the light that escaped into this part of town were the only things disrupting the blinding darkness. Zoro picked up his pace as he spotted a medium sized building with a large red plus mark on it. He wondered when he saw the lights on the second floor were still on. He walked into Amelia's clinic through the back door and slowly ascended the stairs that led to her living quarters. He slid open the unlocked door and stared blankly at the sight before him. The building was square and not nearly as wide in area as the others surrounding it. So the entrance opened out into the living room cum dining hall, with the kitchen counter and washing machine to the far right and a single long table that held a rusty computer and all Amelia's study and research materiel plus stray medicines and bandages and the like to the far left. The dining table was a small round wooden thing that could seat two people. One of the worn out chairs was in front of the computer and on the other one was the doctor. The small table was full of reference books and paper and writing materials. A small plate of some kind of jelly balanced precariously on the edge. The top half of the woman's body lay sprawled over half the table and the objects on it. The woman held a spoon in her outstretched hand and her glasses were crooked on her nose. Zoro stared at her sleeping face. The doctor was pale and had a constant frown on all the time. Her hands were always flying here and there and she sometimes kept muttering random bits of research stuff to herself. The dark circles and bags under her eyes were like an invaluable part of who she was.

Zoro had almost thought it was a miracle this woman had save his life. When he had come to, his chest burning and his throat parched, he had found a brown head slouched over the side of his bed, white clad shoulders rising and falling as she muttered in her sleep. He had stared at her head for a long time, stray thoughts coming together in his mind as everything slowly started to fall in place. He was thinking what had happened to the cook when she had bolted up right with a sudden yell. Obviously that had startled the swordsman enough for him to yelp, causing him to move, causing him to cry out in pain – which he found extremely hard with his parched throat. Amelia had then started fawning over him, going on and on about how glad she was that he was finally conscious and that his wounds were healing much faster than she had expected and oh he had lost a lot of blood so he shouldn't move for awhile and oh my goodness she had left the stove on! Zoro had just watched her run out, tripping over her long lab coat and there were several crashes and bangs and swearing. Yes, he really wondered if she had saved his life.

As Zoro continued to stare down at the sleeping form while slipping out of his cloak, the woman stirred and hazy brown eyes blinked at him. He wasn't very surprised when she bolted up and started to blabber random nonsense. He was used to her incoherent babbling during her early wakefulness. He draped the cloak over the back of the other chair and made his way to the lone door at the back of the room. Amelia finally seemed to have found her bearings and was walking towards him.

"Roroan san! Where had you been?! I nearly went mad looking for you!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "There aren't all that many places to go to on this island now are there."

The woman's eyes flashed and she huffed.

"I told you it was dangerous! What if you got caught again!"

Zoro shrugged and made his way to the bed. He flumped down on it and promptly began to snore. Amelia spluttered in indignation, said a loud 'Mou!' and shut the door behind her.

Zoro opened his eye and stared at the beige ceiling. He replayed his chance meeting with the blonde, a frown steadily deepening on his face. He did not want to owe the man. It was his own stupidity that had gotten them into this situation and there was no need for Sanji to be the one to suffer for it. But what had he done other than nearly get himself killed? The blonde had thrown away his pride and was kissing some fucker's boots just so _he_ could live to see another sunrise. For what reason? What reason did that stupid curlybrow idiot have to go so far for him?

_Because they were Nakama_, a voice said in his head. But Zoro found himself wondering if he would do the same for the other had their roles been reversed. He found with some disgust, that no he would not. He would probably have sliced all of them up had he had his swords, but he would have never done what the blonde was doing for him. Zoro scoffed at himself. And he had been the one who had greatly spouted 'Do as the Romans do'. His eyes followed a long crack in the paint as his mind whirred. So he would definitely not do what the blonde did. His stomach roiled with disgust and hatred as he imagined what the other man was being subjected to. Did the blonde like it? Of course not… right?

And Roronoa Zoro found realization was like a bitch who slapped you across the face and kicked you in the balls for being a complete and utter idiot.

He didn't know, he realized. He didn't know if Sanji liked or disliked it. He didn't know anything about the man. Except that he was an excellent cook, had an intolerable infatuation with beautiful women, whose dream was to find All Blue, was rather strong and an indispensable member of the crew. Of course Zoro would rather take a million more cuts on his chest and bleed to death than admit any of this to anyone. But that was it. He knew nothing more. He didn't know what the cook liked, what he disliked, nothing. Hell, for all the food Sanji made them, Zoro didn't even know what was the other's favorite. He didn't know what Sanji thought about when he sometimes watched the sunset, a faraway look in his eyes. He didn't know what the cook felt when he watched his Nakama with a crooked smile on his face. He didn't know what the cook wanted when he looked through the windows of stores they passed. All he knew was that Sanji felt the same normal things that everyone else did in normal situations, he felt the same way about their Nakama and about a particularly strong opponent. Zoro could almost say he completely understood the man from their constant bickering and brawling. But not once did Zoro ever wonder as to what went through the other's mind while they fought. Did he feel the same sense of irritation and frustration yet immense satisfaction at the closeness and the fact that the two could share a fight? He didn't know.

As the swordsman continued to ponder about his knowledge on the blonde – or lack of it, another thought struck him. It was like a tub of ice cold water had been poured on his head while he was sleeping. He realized with a jolt that other than the fact that they were Nakama, the two men were literally strangers. If not for the fact that some twisted fate had caused Luffy to force them to join his crew, the two would never have crossed paths. What reason would a wandering swordsman and a young chef have to meet each other? Their dreams would probably not lead them in the same direction and had they not joined the crew, most likely would have passed by each other without a second glance. Like they passed by any other stranger on any other day. Sanji probably would have thought 'why the hell would someone dye their hair green' and Zoro would have probably thought 'what kind of shitty hairstyle covers one eye and blocks a person's vision', but beyond that, their existences would have meant nothing to the other. A minute later neither would probably recall the other. So other than the fact that they were Nakama because a certain raven-haired, grinning idiot gave them no other choice, the two were complete strangers. Except for their occasional brawls and name calling – and maybe certain occasions where they were forced to fight together or close by – he had no form of relationship with the other. He found this fact more shocking than his previous revelation as it led to one single question that made his blood run cold.

If what he thought was true – and he knew it was – what reason did Sanji have to sacrifice himself to such an extent for Zoro?

He ruffled his short spiky hair in frustration, an image of a scantily clad blonde flashing through his mind. Why was he going so far? For what reason? What was making him push himself to such an extent? And all for Zoro's sake? _Why?_ The questions were bouncing around in his head, laughing and jeering at him like they were taunting him. Zoro shivered and frowned at the ceiling. He didn't understand these thoughts that were overrunning all other rational ones. He had to know. He needed the answer to his questions. He knew he couldn't go back for a couple of days atleast. He had already caused suspicion. He needed to lay low. He was sure Oberon knew he was alive. But the man was leaving him alone for a reason. Like the blonde had said, it was foolish to stick his head into the lion's mouth. '_Though I'm pretty sure even a lion's fangs can't pierce your thick skull' _an overly familiar voice said in his head. Zoro closed his eye and could see the image of the cook, smirking at whatever, a knife pinning it to the wall. And then everything was black….

* * *

Sanji woke up to the familiar dark ceiling and the scent of sex. His stomach churned but he ignored it. His head throbbed, his body ached and his vision swam. He slipped off the bed and stood on shaky feet. He watched with disgust as white substance trickled down his inner thighs. He padded his way to the bathroom, intent on letting the scorching water wash away the filth. But he knew that no matter how clean he washed himself, the filth wouldn't go away. He noted with some satisfaction that there weren't any new marks on his body, the old ones still healing. He slicked his hair back, cold fingers smoothing shampoo into the strands. Hard, lifeless blue eyes met in the glass, as Sanji stared at his reflection. He couldn't recognize himself anymore. The person staring back at him was some whore who was desperately trying to cling to whatever sanity was left in him. He laughed darkly. He wondered why he was letting these pushovers walk all over him without a second thought. His mind flashed back to certain scenes.

Bartholomew Kuma loomed over Zoro as the man got on his knees and begged. Zoro standing in a lake of blood, barely alive, barely breathing, so much blood everywhere..

_Absolutely.. nothing.. happened…_

Sanji's blood had run cold at the sight. When the swordsman collapsed, he thought for sure the man was dead. He found himself shouting and screaming, begging the other to hang on, desperately trying to pry open those lifeless bloodshot eyes..

But Sanji never once wanted to replace him. Sure, he thought about 'what if it were me' and 'what if I were dead', but he never actually would have taken Zoro's place. Even as he pushed the other out of the way, his body and mind wanted to run. Even as Zoro smashed his ribs and knocked him out, he felt a sense of relief. Even as he carried the nearly dead Marimo to Chopper, his beating heart was proof that he was alive. Sanji was a coward. He had valued his life more than his Nakama's. To such an extent that he almost thanked that it was Zoro and not him. The blonde had turned away his guilt by telling himself that Zoro was stronger and stupider and more reckless, his thick-headedness the reason he could follow through near death stunts.

So that was why he was letting himself become a public cesspit for worthless human beings who fed off their libido like parasites. He could easily burn the place down, tear down the buildings brick by brick and behead every single fucker who stepped onto that street, but no; he chose to suffer the more painful way. An atonement of sorts. The blonde scoffed at himself for such vain thoughts. In the end he was a coward who was running away from his guilt by losing himself to torture. Actually he'd much rather be cut open and left to bleed to death than become a public toilet of sorts. His eyes skimmed down his body and his eyes bulged out at a swelling on his left hip. There was a large fancy Z tattooed on his hip, the skin red and tender, veins of blood joining the streams of water as they pooled around his feet. A flash of green passed through his mind before his brain brought up the actual memory.

"_What the hell are you doing kussoyaro?! Owowow!"_

"_Haha you have very sensitive skin don't you?"_

"_Stop! Get your hands off-"_

"_I'm engraving my name on you."_

"_Why the fuck?!"_

"_To show people who you belong to."_

"_I belong to no one asshole!"_

"_Haha!"_

"_Don't tattoo your fucking name on me!"_

And he'd pushed the guy off before he got beyond Z. he was pretty sure the man's name was Zubin. Or was it Zahail? Whatever. It's not like the frickin' tattoo was visible anyway. He brushed the skin and immediately regretted it a jolt of pain shot through him. He sighed. He wondered how long he would survive in this whore hole. His stomach rumbled and whined, reminding him again how little food he had eaten. Finally deciding to do something about it, he slipped into tight black pants, a full sleeved white shirt that had a boat neck and a sleeveless black jacket. Whore or not, his sense of fashion would always remain the same.

Slipping out of the building, he made his way to the end of the red-light district. He could feel several pairs of eyes follow him as he stepped into the normal part of town. Even though it was well past noon, there were barely a few people out on the streets. He walked past the ominous buildings and hungry looks and spotted a small café snuggly fitted between an apartment and a clinic. The bell jingled as he walked in. the smell of food caused his empty stomach to growl and roar like a starved beast and he eyed the menu, not wanting to push his luck by eating something complicated. As he waited at the counter, there was a commotion behind him and someone called his name.

"Prince! It really is you!" Sanji slowly swiveled his head to find the idiot who called out to him. Already people were eyeing him with lusty eyes. His eyebrows shot up as he saw a bespectacled brunette in a white lab coat. Immediately his eyes shot to the person in front of her. Whoever it was, was wearing a hoodie, effectively blocking his face and head from the blonde.

"Sir? Your scrambled eggs and bacon."

Sanji took his plate, muttered a thanks and walked towards the doctor.

"Amelia san, what a pleasant surprise." Even he was revolted by how easily his voice turned smooth and silky and how effortlessly a smirk played on his face. They were sitting by the window, so Sanji pulled up a chair and sprawled himself over it. After exchanging several minutes of pleasantries between each other, the woman turned to look at her companion who hadn't spoken a word. Sanji followed, his neck twisting slowly as he placed his chin on his hand and half closed his eye. He thanked his ability to look bored and uninterested, and not burst out laughing, because Zoro looked ridiculous.

He was wearing dark pants, some worn out boots, an overly large hoodie that could fit a man twice his size and a ridiculous baseball cap. The hood was pulled over the cap, effectively covering his green hair and most of his face. All that was missing were a pair of glasses that would complete the hipster look. A pfft escaped the blonde's lips and his obvious mirth played across his cerulean eyes. The swordsman just snorted back at him and went back to drinking his coffee. Since when did Marimo drink coffee? Sanji stuffed the eggs and bacon into his mouth and chugged down a glass of lemon tea, hoping his revolting stomach would be beast enough to hold it down. After what seemed like an hour, the trio exited the café – through the back door much to Sanji's surprise – and walked through the back door of the clinic. The blonde smacked himself mentally for not relating two and two. Amelia took her leave then, - spluttering something about waiting patients and a long break – and Zoro marched up the stairs that led to the floor above. Sanji followed the man into a small cozy living quarters and watched as the other flopped down on the corner of the worn sofa at the far end of the room. The swordsman propped his boots on top of the tepoy and folded his hands behind his head. Sanji sat on the other side, hands deep in his pockets. An awkward silence stretched between them like a rubber band pulled to it's limit. Unable to bear it anymore, the cook began;

"So you're ok walking around and stuff?"

Zoro grunted in reply. Sanji shrugged.

"You looked like you were in pain yesterday."

Zoro grit his teeth and scowled. Sanji sighed. He suddenly spun to face the other, hands in front of him like he was desperately pleading the man to understand.

"Look I know I was an asshole but-"

"Why?"

Sanji frowned, his mouth still open as he had been abruptly cut off.

"Why? Well because I drank a can of-"

Zoro growled and finally turned to look at the blonde. His dark eyes were intense and sharp, like they were trying to cut right through Sanji, straight to his soul.

"Why are you doing this?" The meaning of the question was clear. More obvious than anything else. But Sanji chose to feign ignorance. He shrugged.

"Aren't you the one who said 'Do as the-" Another growl cut him off and Sanji scowled.

"Oi don't fucking ask me questions if you're not gonna let me finish." Zoro shook his head and sighed like as though Sanji was some brat that couldn't understand anything that was being said to him. The blonde grabbed the other by the front of his hoodie and pulled him close, their faces inches apart.

"What's your problem huh? You think just because you made it out of that whore hole you're all fine and dandy but now I'm some pathetic sex slave who can't do nothing but fuck and get fucked?" He was hissing by the end and he could feel his face grow hot from anger. What pissed him off more was the indifferent expression on the other man's face as those eyes burned into Sanji.

"..You haven't smoked recently." The simple change of topic completely deflated the cook. His shoulders sagged and a huff of breath left him, but he didn't let go of the other.

"Ran out."

"You can buy them now."

"Half the stores are closed."

"True."

"You look like shit Marimo."

"Don't wanna hear that from you ero cook."

"Haah?! Are you insulting this fashion genius' taste in clothes?!"

"I wasn't talking about your clothes." Zoro said softly and raised a hand to brush a stray strand of blonde hair off of the other's face. Sanji's eyes widened and his breath caught. Something inside him broke at the simple yet warm gesture. He ducked his head and grit his teeth, refusing to let the other see his weak side. But he couldn't stop his clenched fist from trembling and his knuckles from turning white. A broad hand ruffled his hair and stayed on his head, the warmth seeping through Sanji's cold body like a newly lit fire. There were several unspoken reasons and reactions behind the small act.

Zoro owed the man his life. It was the least he could do for all the suffering the cook's sacrifice was putting him through. He sympathized but didn't pity. It was a dignified act of a man's honour.

Sanji felt the gesture bring to the forefront his crushing guilt. He felt disgusted at how weak and how much of a coward he was. He knew Zoro felt anything but pity towards him. Yet that was what fuelled his sense of disgust towards himself. The moment of closeness the two shared seemed surreal compared to how they normally couldn't tolerate the other's existence. This whole situation seemed surreal. Just the two of them, completely alone, on some dismal island swarming with people who lived and breathed sex, with no hope of escape, he wondered if any other situation would have led to the one they were in. He was sure none would. He would never let a stupid moss ball comfort him. He'd much rather it be Nami or Robin- his heart ached at the thought of his Nakama. He pulled away and retreated to his side of the couch, effectively shattering the moment that would never come to repeat itself. Zoro returned to his previous position, with his hands behind his head. They lapsed back into silence and this time Sanji didn't want to break the ice.

"Oi. What you said about having to buy you-"

"Don't even think about it Marimo. I ain't gonna stick my ass out for you." Sanji found himself smirking at the familiar glare.

"I meant, is it applicable to during the day?" Zoro scratched his head, deep in thought. Sanji raised an eyebrow as he understood the meaning of the other's question. He nodded slowly.

"I guess so. Don't think they'll mind the extra cash." Zoro nodded, fished in his pocket and pulled out a wad of notes. Sanji eyed them warily.

"Take it ero cook. Bet your stalkers aren't going to leave any time soon and you might have to bribe them on your way back."

"Where'd you get this?" Sanji asked, voice thin, as he pocketed the cash carefully. Zoro grunted. Sanji shrugged. Not that he cared. He sighed and stood up. He ran a hand through his hair and came to stand in front of Zoro.

"Cameras?" he mumbled, lips barely moving, but sure that the other had heard. Zoro hummed, the deep sound reverberating between them and sending shivers down the blonde's spine. Zoro was still looking at him with that intense, burning gaze and for some reason Sanji was finding it hot.

'_All the sex slave shit must've really gotten to me if I'm getting turned on by a Marimo ball piece of shit swordsman.'_

Sanji raised a leg and placed it on the other side of Zoro's. he stepped forward and eyed the man below him, waiting for a reaction. Confusion flitted through Zoro's one good eye and a growl ripped itself from his down turned mouth. His eyes became hooded, and darkened dangerously – like a wild beast's as it laid eyes on its prey. Sanji started when the swordsman hooked two fingers in the front of Sanji's pants and pulled the other towards him. He yelped ungracefully, as he clutched the back of the sofa, hands on either side of Zoro's head, their faces an inch apart. Blue eyes flashed against dark gun-metal ones, as the two men leaned into the kiss.

At first it was just hot lips pressed against thin cold ones. But then Sanji's tongue darted out and they were devouring each other, fighting for dominance, vying to come out on top. Sanji lost, his awkward position over Zoro causing him to shift uncomfortably and lose concentration. Zoro growled with satisfaction into the blonde's mouth, the sound ripping itself from the depths of his throat, causing the other to shiver again. Sanji tried to move but found Zoro's grip on his pants unbreakable. He sighed and resigned himself to his fate. As he shut his eyes, his mind shut itself down and was replaced by his animal like instincts. When he turned off all rational thought, his body moved on it's own, craving and needing like a man deprived of the basic necessity of a human being: the craving for sexual pleasure. He felt his consciousness float away, overridden by instinct and the need for survival that complied with the need to escape through sexual release. He found his trademark smirk stretch on his face, as he gave himself up to his twisted fate.

* * *

Zoro watched with alarm as the light of life slowly dimmed from those cerulean orbs, leaving behind a ghost of it's former self, a shadow of what it used to be. He found the cook's body leaning in, settling on his lap, arms twisting around him, hands knotting in his hair, hips grinding together. Zoro wrenched himself away from Sanji and threw the man on the couch. The blonde was paler than usual. He looked so fragile, like one touch and he would shatter into a million pieces. His lips were parted and panting for breath, his golden locks framing his thin face, his blue eyes had turned dark and murky. He was an empty shell of his former self. The damage on the man was far worse than anything Zoro had imagined. A lump formed in his throat as the blonde raised his arms, as though begging for the other. What had he done? How could he have let this man, who he saw as someone strong enough to stand up to him, break down into this pathetic wreck lying under him. A whimper broke free from Sanji's lips and Zoro found his chest clenching painfully. The state the other man was in, could not be reversed without satisfying him of his needs. If Zoro didn't fuck Sanji senseless, he would remain a broken shell of the proud man he once was. Zoro cursed loudly, his eye flashing angrily. Is this how every one of those sex slaves ended up? As mindless sex machines that completely shut down and lived only for pleasure? Is this what Sanji had become? And if so, was the damage irreversible? An image of a smirking blonde pinned to the wall with a knife flashed through his mind and he knew what to do. If fucking Sanji was the only way to bring him out of whatever hole he'd drowned himself in, Zoro would do whatever it took to save him. After all, a life for a life, and a debt to repay.

* * *

**A/n: Well I can't help it, but I get a high on torturing these two 3 -evil maniacal laughter-**

**Well Review, favorite and Follow!**

**Sneak peak at next week's chapter: The newly forming relationship between the green-haired swordsman and the golden-haired cook is something of confusion and frustration for the two. Is it just the guilt, the need to repay a dept and/or the need to atone for their mistakes that are pushing them to that extent, or is it something completely different, that neither are expecting or anticipating? How will Sanji deal with his life as a sex slave and what will Zoro do to find a means of escape and a way to save the blonde from the depths of despair? Stay tuned~**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/n: EDIT: PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END**

**Thank you all for reading! I was waaay too happy, so i decided to post an early chapter :D And thank you to everyone for reviewing! It just makes my day to see FF messages in my inbox haha. **

**This chapter is rather less torturing compared to the previous two. I decided that I would add some twists to the story cuz hey, who doesn't like a good twist or two? ;D**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Zoro stared at the tattoo on Sanji's hip. He found himself reaching for his swords, intent on cutting the thing up. His irritation escalated when he found that his swords weren't where they were supposed to be. Rubbing his head in frustration, he slid off the blonde and sat on the edge of the bed. Amelia must have come and gone, he wasn't sure. She must have heard if not seen, the damn blonde could be loud as hell. He rubbed his face and wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He looked over his shoulder at the cook's limp form, thin and fragile under the bed covers. He sighed. It wasn't like this was the first time he was having sex. Despite what other people thought, he'd had his own share of trysts. Though they were neither romantic nor filled with love. Just pure, animalistic, mindless sex. Despite finding solace in training his body and fighting, sometimes he just needed the release to ward off all the irritations and frustrations.

But it was the first time his partner was a male. Except for the thing in between his legs and the toned body, Sanji could easily be a woman with his glossy golden hair and bright blue eyes, his petite physique and small waist- Zoro ground his teeth in frustration. What the fuck was going on?! Their main aim was to find their Nakama and get the fuck off this island. But instead, here they were, one broken and the other half dead and weaponless. He needed to think of a way to escape before Sanji's state worsened. The entire time they were at it, the blonde did nothing but drown himself in his illusion of pleasure. Whether it actually felt good or not was besides the point. The moans and grunts, the groans and shouts, the mindless screaming and grinding, it was like he was so used to all of them, they just became something of a habit than a reaction to the feeling.

Sanji had been completely broken. Zoro could finally see it. The blonde was obviously tied down by something that the swordsman didn't know of and that was leading him to slowly disintegrate. At this rate he would no longer be Blackleg Sanji, the feared cook of the Strawhat Pirates. He'd just be another whore strutting about, living and breathing sex like everyone else. The blonde had been completely dragged into the core of this whore hole and Zoro was the only one who could do anything about it.

Now you would wonder as to why Zoro was so determined to undo the damage done to the blonde, to go to the extent of sleeping with him just to break him out of the wretched spell he had fallen under. Maybe it was guilt, that he was the cause for Sanji's downfall; maybe it was the obligation of being a Nakama, knowing the others would do the same; maybe it was to repay the debt of his life being saved; or maybe it was something entirely different, something Zoro didn't want to think about or even begin to question. Those dark wicked feelings could rot in the depths of hell for all he cared. The last thing he needed was to fall under the same wretched spell. Zoro started when Sanji shifted beside him. He watched with bated breath as the cook slid off the bed, stood up and made to the bathroom like it was something he did on a daily basis. Which it just might be. Zoro stared hard at the floor as the sound of the shower turning on overruled all the other sounds. It was getting dark - meaning Sanji had to get back to work. The very thought caused a shiver of dread to pass down Zoro's spine. Would the blonde have to go through that mindless torture again? Just so some horny fatass could get his nightly dose of sex? And just after he had gone through the effort of bringing back the blonde. A stray thought wandered through his mind. What if Sanji didn't go back? What if Zoro kidnapped him and-

And what? And then what would they do? Sanji's stalkers were still prowling outside. Oberon's men were still on guard for him and Amelia's life was already in danger thanks to the two of them. Zoro sat pondering on what his next course of action would be. Obviously he could no longer just stay put and let his wounds heal. He couldn't play dead any longer. He had to do something before things took a turn for the worse. Not to mention it was well over two weeks since they got separated from the crew. He knew the others would be desperately searching for them. Maybe, just maybe, Luffy and the rest would come to the blonde's rescue before-

"Oi Marimo, if you keep staring at the floor like that, you're gonna burn a hole right through it."

"Shup up ero cook." Zoro looked up to see a naked Sanji, with nothing but a towel on his head, dripping wet, walking towards him. The swordsman immediately looked away, unable to stand the sight of those horrendous marks and wounds on the other's body. If it were battle scars, any man would wear them proudly. But this..

"What? You find me so disgusting that you can't even look at me for more than a few seconds?" Sanji's voice was jeering and taunting, yet it had a hard edge to it. Like the blonde had been hurt by the other man's rejection. He flopped down on the bed beside Zoro.

"Or is it that you find it disgusting that you fucked me so hard? Me of all people. Your mortal enemy. Who you would rather be dea-" Zoro growled ferociously and in one brash movement had Sanji pinned down underneath him, eye flashing, lips curled back in a snarl.

"Don't you _ever_ fucking say something like that again you stupid dartbrow or I'll-"

"_You'll what_?" Sanji's face was expressionless, his eyes the same emotionless murky blue and his voice flat yet challenging. "You'll _what_ Marimo? Fuck me senseless again while thinking you're doing me a _favour_? Go get your ass kicked by those bastards again and double my work for me? Put your life in danger and everyone else's? What will you _do_? Beat me? Since you can't cut me up with your swords? Kick me? Punch me? Body slam me? Pound me until I'm dead?"

The whole time Sanji was talking in his montone, Zoro's face just kept growing darker and angrier, his muscles convulsing from rage, his back arching from anger. But the entire time, Sanji spoke to him with the same tone of voice, the same face devoid of expression and the same eyes devoid of light. "Tell me what you'll do kussoyaro."

Zoro roared and reared back, as though he was going to head butt Sanji - considering the rest of his limbs were locked on the other's. But he brought his head down next to blonde's, the bed creaking from the impact, the wood groaning at the unnecessary force of the blow. Sanji's eyes widened and his breath caught, but he didn't move. Zoro lay panting next to his ear. The hot breaths causing the blonde to shiver. Then the other man groaned and pulled up so their eyes were aligned parallel to each other. And Sanji found his eyes brimming with unshed tears at the depth of emotion in Zoro's dark eye.

There was no pity, no sympathy, not even anger. There was simply a great helplessness, a desire to simply understand, to simply be able to share what the other felt, to simply be able to be a pillar of support, to be able to _do_ something than just uselessly sit around. And Sanji shut his eyes, letting the tears fall. He understood what Zoro was feeling so well, because he had felt the same when he had stood beside an unconscious Zoro, completely bandaged and pale as death. He wished he could do something, anything, to help the man. Anything to get over the guilt of being unable to _do something_. Sanji understood it all too well. That feeling of extreme helplessness. He felt Zoro stiffen as he saw the tears roll down pale cheeks and onto the bed. He instinctively pulled the other man towards him, cradling him against his chest like he were a woman in despair. Though Sanji very well knew Zoro was anything but a damsel in distress. The swordsman relaxed against the blonde, both men simply reveling in the warmth of the other, glad to have the other's company. Finally Zoro pulled back and returned to sit by the edge of the bed.

"Shouldn't you be going back?"

Sanji grunted in response and began to dress. As he exited the room, Zoro followed. He followed down the stairs and out the back door. Just as Sanji began walking away, Zoro grabbed his arm.

"A little longer cook. I'll think of something." His voice was low and strained, not at all full of promise or hope. Sanji scoffed as he turned around and smirked at the man.

"Oi oi Marimo are you worrying about me? Don't worry your pretty little head off! There's no way I'll go down from something like this." Sanji's voice was playful, almost like how it normally was, albeit a little too high pitched and a little too forced. Zoro's eyes danced with that same expression and he pulled the blonde towards him and smashed their lips together, their single eyes staring at each other. The gesture had no kind of romantic significance. Actually it didn't have any sort of significance, physical or otherwise. Just a consolation that the other was there and alive and if not anyone else, there was atleast one person on the entire island they could trust. A twisted way of communicating what they couldn't put in words, what they couldn't express with emotions. Just that the warmth of the other was enough to reassure them that they could do what needed to be done and hold on for a little longer. They broke apart, both lightly panting for air and Zoro smacked Sanji in the chest.

"Don't lose cook. Or I'll just leave you here for Oberon's dogs to tear you apart."

Sanji smashed his forehead against the other's. "Don't get too ahead of yourself shitty Marimo. You can still die any second."

And the two men found their faces breaking out into long forgotten grins, no promises spoken, no oaths taken, yet the unspoken words and the undeniable presence of the other enough to placate their broiling emotions.

* * *

Amelia went from normal to pink to purple to blue and then to white. Zoro almost laughed at her rainbow of emotions. The doctor opened her mouth several times but never managed to speak. Finally, she turned away and asked slowly.

"Why? Are you doing this for Prince san? Is it so- Oh no! you can't! It's too dangerous!" Amelia spun around, fingers intertwined, knuckles white and face desperate. Sometimes Zoro was amazed at how smart she actually was. He sighed and walked away. Flinging on his cloak, he eyed the fake glasses he'd found in the boxes of junk and slipped them on.

"It's not really any of your business what I do or don't do. The only reason I told you is because you let me stay here up till now and saved my life." He slipped the door open and looked at the doctor from over his shoulder.

"And I'll find a place so you don't have to worry about me bothering y-"

"You aren't a bother!" Amelia looked like she was on the verge of tears and Zoro rapped his knuckles on the door in frustration.

"Ok fine I'm not a bother. I'm still finding another place-"

"It's too dangerous!"

"Look woman! Do you like sleeping on the sofa or on the table?! How many days have you gone without sleep?! I'm perfectly fine so I'm out of here!" He slapped the door open and began descending the stairs two at a time. Just as he reached the bottom, Amelia grabbed his arm. Zoro groaned and rolled his eyes. This woman was a major pain. But he had to be nice to her because she had endangered her life for him. He waited for her to stop sobbing long enough to speak.

"P-Please 'on't go.. There's 'o one else.. All alone all the –HIC- time.." Zoro found himself staring at the brown head beside him and sighing. Women were a real pain. Especially the straight forward ones. Amelia was bawling her eyes out, glasses long forgotten, one hand clenching her lab coat while the other vigorously rubbed at her eyes. She was paler than he remembered and once again he found himself reaching up and patting someone's head. She flinched and looked startled but immediately melted into his hand. He groaned inwardly and wondered why the hell he had to deal with this shit. Pushing her up the stairs, they trooped back into the large room. He looked around and nodded.

"Alright first you go and get some sleep. I'll be right back." He grabbed the keys and locked the door behind him even as Amelia shouted and banged against the thin wood. He pocketed the key and exited the building. It was late evening, the one time of the day that the town was in action. He spotted a store in one of the side streets and decided to investigate.

Two hours later, he had bought a futon, pillows and a blanket, a random assortment of clothes that included nightwear, beanies and caps and long coats with hoods, two bottles of good quality sake and he had himself a part time job. He couldn't really ask for more at the moment. Helping build one of the love hotels in the red-light district was the only one he could find. If the plan he had carefully plotted went the way he wanted, things might just turn around for the better. He unlocked the door and walked in. Noticing none of the lights were on, he walked into the bedroom to find Amelia fast asleep. He snorted. Finally the woman was doing something sensible instead of mindlessly flitting about. He eyed the bare area in front of the couch and next to the dining table and spread out his futon. After positioning things the way he wanted them, he leaned into the pillows propped against the couch and took a long sip from one of the bottles. It was well past dusk now and he was sure Sanji was doing whatever he was supposed to do. Zoro would start working tomorrow but right now he decided to sleep. His chest hurt more now since he had overdone it and he lay back, letting his mind wander.

* * *

Sanji got off the bed, had a quick shower, slipped on his yukata and shut the door behind him. The night had just begun and he had already gotten three requests. Two of them turned out to be women who honestly didn't mind a threesome. Well who the hell cares when some random stranger is fucking you anyway? The third person, who he was going to now, was the same blonde dude who had asked for him three days in a row. He opened the door to the room his guest was supposed to be in and slipped into 'work mode'.

"Prince! How nice to see you! You look fine as always!" Sanji always found it amusing that the man was able to converse with him like they were best buds. Sanji opened his mouth and faltered when he realized he was yet to remember the man's name.

"Good evening to you too. You are far too kind."

He chuckled at the cook and motioned for him to join him. "You know it's rather rude not to remember the names of the people who bought you for the night." The man smirked and Sanji resisted the urge to kick his face in. Instead, he smirked back and slid a hand slowly down his side. His smirk grew wider when the man's nearly hidden eyes hungrily followed it. "Forgive me for being rude, but I _am quite new_ so.."

The man's lips twitched at the suggestive line and in one long stride he was right in front the blonde, an inch between them.

"That I know." He ran his hands through Sanji's silky locks and then fisted them tightly, causing the other to wince from the sudden pain. The man came close to his ear and the smell of beer was so strong, Sanji regretted eating the meager meal from before. "Zeher. And this time, make sure you remember.."

Zeher pulled back with a satisfied sneer and then eyed Sanji's parted mouth. Taking the hint, the blonde covered the small back between them and the two men concentrated on the burning kiss, all things forgotten as their lips and teeth and tongue clashed together furiously.

Before his eyes drew shut, Zeher's hair seemed to flash green for a second and Sanji found his mind being invaded by a certain moss-haired swordsman.

* * *

"Hah?! You've never done any manual labour before?!"

"No I didn't say _manual labour,_ I said this is the first time I'm constructing a building."

"Will you look at that? Hasn't lifted a stone in his entire life and here he is acting all fine and prissy. Well_ princess,_ my boys here will show you the ropes so make sure not to break a nail."

The big worker guffawed with a bunch of other men as they jibed and mocked Zoro. The swordsman grit his teeth and for the first time found himself thanking whatever stars were watching over these bastards, that he didn't have his swords. One of the workers motioned towards him and walked away, still laughing. Zoro followed, pushing the fake glasses up his nose and fixing the beanie on his head. He really wondered as to what kind of men worked in the red-light district, if his scars and rippling muscles made him a princess. The corner of his mouth twitched when he imagined the fit Sanji would throw if Zoro were to call him a princess.

"Having fun are we? Well why don't you start by carrying this to the men on top then?"

Zoro found himself looking at a huge pail of wet concrete, filled to the brim. His eye then travelled to the make-shift lift that stood beside them. He then eyed the grinning man in front of him. Mentally sighing, he bent down, heaved the bucket up and started to climb the cobbled together steps that led to the upper levels. The roughly put together stairs were uneven and had bad footing. Climbing up while staring down and making sure he didn't tilt the bucket was growing to be a pain in the ass.

"Hurry up newbie, or no lunch for you!"

Three hours later, Zoro found himself staring at half a loaf of bread and a jug of some kind of murky looking liquid. He had successfully carried over thirty pails of concrete and by the end, it wasn't just his chest that burned. He was sure he had twisted both ankles more than once on those ruddy steps and his left shoulder was dislocated. The amount of work or the weight wasn't really a problem for someone who lifted several hundred tons on a daily basis. But for a heavily injured man, it was hell. His lungs were heaving for air and sweat poured down his body. He still refused to take off his beanie or full-sleeved shirt, though both clung tightly to him uncomfortably. One of the workers – slightly older than the rest, with a large bushy mustache and kind looking eyes - came up and sat on the crate opposite him. He motioned to the paltry meal that lay untouched and scratched his bush of a mustache.

"Not hungry then? That's all you'll be getting y'know."

The green-haired man pointedly picked the bread up and shoved it down his throat, nearly gagging in the process. The man nodded, satisfied. "The name's Freddy by the way. Those lads'll do anything for a good laugh. That's all we got to keep us going around here."

"What about the whores?"

The man made a face at Zoro's crass way of describing and shrugged one shoulder.

"Well most of us are either ex-slaves from here-abouts or slaves who were brought here or people like you who nearly got killed 'cuz of some robust customer. So there's no way any of us would actually put someone else through the same torture."

Zoro tensed and Freddy waved a hand dismissively. "Despite what they said, any one could tell you aren't quite healed yet. The workload should get lighter here on out so don't worry too much."

Zoro realized with a jolt that the pointless process of lugging a huge bucket of concrete up three levels of blasted stairs, was for the workers to determine where exactly Zoro ended up there from. Whether he was a weak whore who was found worthless in the trade, whether he had been abandoned there by a bunch of pirates, or whether he had survived going against the law of the island. Freddy stood up with a glint in his eye, as he twirled his bushy tash. "There's no need to worry about the boys either. After all, No one can _not _respect a survivor eh?" He winked at the swordsman and hobbled back to the others - who had long since given up pretending to ignore the two of them. When they met Zoro's eye, they nodded meekly and concentrated on Freddy.

Zoro eyed the mug one last time before downing it in three gulps. Whatever it was, it tasted like a bunch of plants crushed together and left a minty aftertaste in his mouth. It wasn't all bad, especially when it eased his fatigue and let him breathe easier. Pulling the beanie lower, he stood up and walked towards the men, bent on working as much as his body would let him.

* * *

"Huh?! _Moved out?!"_

Amelia shook her head vigorously and shrunk back from Sanji's looming figure. The blonde ruffled his hair in frustration and swore loudly. What the _hell _was that freak show of a swordsman _thinking_ when he decided to move out?! A tick mark appeared on Sanji's face as he realized that the man had moss for brains. The cook nodded blankly and pushed past the doctor.

"Well maybe he left some clue behind so I'll just-"

"_You can't!" _Amelia stood in front of the door, arms spread on either side, a look of total horror on her face. Sanji nearly rolled his eyes from the obvious deception and then mentally berated himself for over reacting.

_Of course he'd ask her to hide where he is or what he's doing._

He tsk'd and stuck the lollipop that was in his hand back in his mouth. Since he was forbidden to smoke, his need for something between his lips and fingertips were a constant source of irritation. Retta had found an extremely simple solution to the problem, by offering him a lollipop. He forced a smile towards the brunette – which seemed to appease her some – and turned to walk down the stairs.

The gears in his head were clicking into place and he knew pretty much where the stupid Marimo would be. After all, there are only so many places you could go on this stupid hell hole of an island.

* * *

**A/n: Edit-**

**Sneak peak at the next chapter: Sanji finds his life in peril, how will he escape from his manic obsessor? Meanwhile Zoro's identity is in danger of being exposed?! The strawhats are desperately looking for their missing members and Luffy finds something strange? What secrets do they stumble upon and are they quite ready to deal with them?**

** Just- be prepared for some drastic twists and suspense along with all the torture!**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/n: Sorry for the late update! I got caught up in a lot of stuff and couldn't find time to type. I guess this chapter isn't as long as the previous ones, mostly because I just hurried through it. So sorry if there's things that don't make sense! [Kidding. That's how it's supposed to be nyahahahaha~]**

**Oh and FYI, PLOT TWIST! YAY! Lol~ **

**So if you haven't read my edit on the sneak peak to this chapter, make sure to read it to get an idea what's going to happen!**

**Also, I've got more great news! Your long awaited wait for the rest of the crew has proved fruitful! though there's still just half the crew mentioned in this one, but they're all going to be there in the coming chapters, albeit in different scenes.**

**So read on and enjoy~ **

**P.s, the chapters from now will have a little more of suspense and twists rather than angst. Though of course thre's lots of torture! I simply cannot do without my torture :')**

**Follow, favorite and Review!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Sanji smoothed the hair out of his eyes and eyed his reflection tiredly. The searing water burned his sensitive skin. The little cuts and scratches along his pale body screamed from the unnecessary pain. He found himself staring at the tattoo on his hip again.

It was the third time Zeher had asked for him in a span of one week. It wouldn't be so unusual, as he got regular customers all the time, but something about this man caused all the sirens in Sanji's head to start blaring uncontrollably. He reeked of danger and the blonde could smell the scent of addiction from him. He was already alert despite switching off when he was in 'work mode' but there was something about this guy that made Sanji want to throw up. The way he acted around the cook, like he had complete control over him, like he.. _owned_ him..

Sanji's scalp prickled as his mind whirred from the new idea. That might just be it. Zeher had proclaimed more than once about how Sanji was his. The blonde straightened sharply when the shower door slid open. Zeher came to stand behind him and wrapped lanky arms around Sanji's slim waist. Their eyes met in the glass wall of the small cubicle and the cook forced back the bile that rose in his throat.

"You were taking too long, so I came to check on you."

"How kind of you."

Zeher purred and kissed the nape of the blonde's neck, never breaking eye contact. The man still stunk of beer and the water caused his long dirty hair to stick to both their bodies.

A shiver ran down Sanji's spine as the man pushed back his bangs completely to reveal striking violet eyes. They glinted dangerously and Zeher bit down on Sanji's shoulder, causing him to wince painfully.

"You really are faaar too reserved Prince. You should atleast be yourself when you're with me, don't you think?"

Sanji's mouth twitched and he forced it into a smirk. Zeher chuckled deeply.

"No matter. Sooner or later you'll be spilling out all your secrets to me. After all, we've got all the time in the world."

Sanji shifted from one foot to another and gripped the wrist on his pelvis.

"I'm sorry Zeher san, but it's time for me to leave."

Zeher's lips curled into a snarl and violet eyes flashed black for a second.

"_Leave?_ And where are you _going?_"

"I have other customers too-"

He was cut off abruptly as the taller man slammed the blonde into the glass in front of them. Sanji cursed softly, sure that his nose was broken, or atleast dislocated. Zeher leaned back and crossed his arms. He looked out the single window that was high up on the wall and said darkly,

"Well we'll have to do something about that don't we?"

He looked at Sanji and their eyes met again in the glass.

"About what…?"

"About your other _customers.."_ The word came out with so much spite, Sanji started to wonder what he had done to offend the man. Despite what Oberon or Ravena said, he could tell this dude was someone extremely important and pissing him off would be the last of the cook's problems. So Sanji put on a confused face and pretended like his simple school-boy mind wasn't able to understand what Zeher was going on about.

That seemed to work, because the man smirked and pulled Sanji towards him. He pressed their bare chests together and wound one arm around the cook's waist possessively. He brought a finger to Sanji's mouth and tapped the soft lips.

"Don't worry you're gorgeous head off. I won't let anyone have you."

The back of Sanji's neck prickled as Zeher leaned in.

"Because you _belong to me.."_

* * *

"So who's the lucky lady?"

Zoro eyed the chirpy man next to him wearily. It was already growing dark and the last thing he needed to was to be around when Oberon's goons came out of their hole.

"What?"

Freddy waggled his eyebrows and swished his mustache. "Ya know~ Striking lad like you, nearly got yourself killed yet yer hanging around here. Gotta mean somethin'."

"Ah."

"Oi oi you can do better than that."

Zoro scratched his head, mind lost in thought. He stared at a patch of dirt on the helmet he was holding and bit his lip. "It's not a woman though."

Freddy's eyebrows shot up so high, they could've flown off his face. Immediately catching on, the swordsman waved a hand hurriedly even as his face started to turn red.

"No! I didn't mean it that way! He's just a-"

Zoro's tongue caught in his mouth and he wondered as to what he was about to say. He's just a… what? Friend? No. there was no way the cook and he shared something as deep as that. Companion? Partner?

"-Nakama." The word was out of his mouth before his mind could think of something else. The answer was so simple, yet why did he hesitate? It was true that he had come to question quite a few things about his relationship with the blonde, if you could even call what they had a _relationship._

"Ho? What's with that? You should just say that right away or people will misunderstand ya!" Freddy '_hohoho_'d and patted Zoro good-naturedly.

"..Yeah."

"Freddy san! Could you c'mere for a sec?"

"Sure thing! Well see ya later then." The pudgy man winked and waddled away, patting his belly contentedly. Like he wouldn't trade a thing in the world to get out of that shithole of an island. Zoro almost looked away, but a piece of paper caught the corner of his eye. He glanced towards the group Freddy had just joined, their heads huddled together in deep discussion. And then he caught sight of it again as it was passed to the slightly older man. And he was sure of it.

The size was the exact same as that of a bounty poster and call him a fool, but even he could guess whom the poster was of. He turned away hurriedly, pulled the beanie low over his head, shifted his glasses and briskly strode off. The poster was still an old one. The one of him two years ago. And he had made sure to keep his oddly colored hair covered at all times, so maybe, just _maybe_ it was a coincidence and fate was just being a bitch again.

"Roroan kun? … You know, atleast come up with a better alias."

Zoro halted mid stride, his body rigid and ready to defend any kind of attack.

"We're not gonna mug you, if that's what yer expecting."

Fred's voice was strained and not at all like the warm and kind one it had been but a few minutes ago. But Zoro sensed an under tone of something else and that caused him to turn back slowly.

Thinking back to that moment, Zoro might have regretted not walking away. Especially since he was sure he could take down those men even without his swords. But his animalistic instincts were telling him that he should stick around. Something was about to unfold and he was going to stick around to see it through to the end. What, he didn't know. But something that would determine whether his carefully thought out plan would work or not. Something _big._

So he stood there waiting for the apprehensive men to inch closer. Freddy held up the poster and nodded at it. "Pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro. 120,000,000 beri. Who would've known."

"Are you gonna rat me out?"

"Hah! Does it look like we'd go through the trouble of telling those brainless fools that a wanted pirate is on their island and working as a construction worker? They'd just laugh at us and put us in the loony bin!"

"Then what do you want from me?"

Freddy's eyes glinted mischievously and he twirled his mustache. The other men seemed to vibrate with anticipation as they waited with bated breath for the man to explain.

"What _we want you to do,_ is let us in on whatever you're plotting." Freddy wagged his mustache and grinned. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Hah?"

"You've thought of a way to get out of here right? Well I can't say it'll work out very well, considering you have no idea who or what you're dealing with. So why don't you let us give you a helpin' hand, and in return you bail us out with ya?"

Zoro sighed and nodded slowly. The last thing he needed was to draw unnecessary attention. But maybe, a big group would be a better idea than jumping into the enemies' territory alone.

"Now that that's settled, we've got something to show ya!"

Freddy and the workers ushered the swordsman behind the site and into a large area packed with warehouses and junk. He wasn't sure what these men planned on doing, but whatever it was, escape was closer than he thought it would be.

* * *

**On another island—**

"Oi Nami! What's taking so long?!"

"Just give me a damn minute Luffy! I can't do magic!"

"It's been over ten minutes already! At this rate we're never gonna find Sanji and Zoro!"

"_Oh my god Luffy!_ Will you shut up for one minute!? I have to concentrate!"

"Usssopp! Dooo somethinggg!" Luffy whined and looked at his sniper desperately. Usopp had a thoughtful frown on his face as he scratched his chin.

"I agree with Nami, Luffy. This is dangerous and we have to do it right or it won't work."

Luffy groaned and dropped his head in frustration. "It's been three weeks already! How much longer will you take?!"

"Oi Luffy! Stop being a pain before Nami konks you and come give me a hand!"

"Yadda!" [A/n: means no or I don't want to depending on context.]

"Luffy!"

The raven-haired youth grumbled loudly, crossed his arms and sulked all the way up to where Franky was perched on a large rock. As the to-be-Pirate-King neared, Franky waved a wrench and grinned up at him. "Don't worry so much! This is Zoro and Sanji we're talking about! There's no way either of them could've gotten into something as bad."

"What does _as bad_ mean?" Luffy grumped as he flumped onto the warm rock. The cyborg-man shrugged and twirled the wrench around the finger of a small mechanical hand protruding from the center of his ginormous palm. "Well. I mean. What could be worse than Zoro not having his swords right?"

"That's why I'm worried!" Luffy wailed, causing Nami to curse loudly and Usopp to shout in alarm.

"We're never going to find them and it's all your fault Luffy!" The carrot haired woman screeched, waving one of the three metal tubes that made up her Clima Tact. Luffy huffed and sat pouting.

"You can't blame me! I haven't eaten Sanji's food for three weeks!" He dodged the tube that was thrown at him and glowered at Nami.

"And we all know _that's _the actual reason!"

"Oi Nami relax! We're not getting anywhere with you two screaming at each other!"

"Shut up Usopp!" Nami snapped and pulled back the blue cylinder using a line of clouds.

The long-nosed man sighed dejectedly and shot his captain a look. Luffy mellowed but continued to sulk. Franky just chuckled under his breath.

Three weeks without two of their monster trio had completely thrown the crew off kilter. Nami for one was always in a bad mood. One second she was shrieking and throwing things and the next she was sobbing on the floor. Nobody could say or do anything to dampen her foul mood swings. Especially since every third sentence of Nami's was followed by 'I know it's my fault already!'. No one blamed the navigator for her decision; in fact they respected her for being able to make one so important in a situation as dire as the one they had been in. Yet Nami continued to fret and worry, constantly on edge and darting in and out, wringing her hands.

Finally, Robin had come up with a solution to keep the navigator busy. Since Nami could control weather, why not make some sort of tracking device using the clouds and wind so they could trace the duo's wareabouts. If Nami strengthened the clouds, they could use Franky's small tracking device-object-thingy to somehow locate the cook and swordsman.

Of course everyone knew it was something unbelievable and would most likely fail. But no one had the heart to voice it out and Nami would rather die than go back to doing nothing.

So now all she did was constantly bicker with Luffy and yell at a passive Usopp, who did nothing but try to calm every one the hell down. Franky just butted in from the boundary when he thought Nami was about to lose it, otherwise he strictly kept to completely fixing Sunny up.

Robin, Chopper and Brook had gone into the forest that occupied most of the island they were on; in order to get wood from the looming trees that Franky had sworn would not be able to replace the parts of Sunny that were missing. But thanks to the Adam wood she was built with, the ship was only slightly damaged on the outside. But the inner portions were another story.

"I'm hungryyyyyy!" Luffy whined again and threw himself flat on the rock.

"Here, eat this." Franky stuffed a huge watermelon looking fruit into Luffy's mouth without looking up from what he was doing. The rubber man gulped the fruit down in less than a minute and opened his mouth to wail for more food, but shut up. He looked at the tense expressions on his Nakama's faces and decided he might as well do something about his black hole of a stomach than complain. After all, he had gone two years without Sanji's food. Not that that fact made him miss it any less.

The youth swung from branch to branch and finally climbed up what looked like a huge tree that seemed to be the center of the island. He looked around and could see nothing but sparkling ocean. The reason they were having so much trouble locating the island the two missing members of the crew were on, was because of the constantly shifting landmasses and fluctuating magnetic fields. It was absolutely driving Nami crazy and Luffy hadn't seen her that frazzled for a long time.

"Hm?" He squinted into the distance as he spotted a dark line along the horizon. He stretched his neck out as far as it would go, his eyes slits from squinting. He noticed some kind of weird blue cloud thing surrounding the island. No more like, it was encased by a huge globe of glass. Like a ginormous overturned gold-fish bowl. Luffy hopped down and raced back to where Sunny was docked, hoping this information was something that could maybe dissipate the thunder clouds surrounding Nami's head.

* * *

Zoro let out a low whistle as he let his eyes travel around the huge warehouse he was currently standing in. he hadn't ventured very far into the red-light district, so he hadn't known that most of the alleyways led to a large open space that served as a junkyard as well as housed several big warehouses and sheds. He didn't really care what they were used for, considering nothing really happened on the island, but the one he was standing in held a massive machine that occupied over half of the enormous building. The ceiling was atleast fifty feet tall and the machine fit snugly into the warehouse, like it had been built around the contraption. The dim lighting made it impossible to decipher much from the metal monster, but Zoro could tell it was some sort of generator.

What it generated though, he was about to find out.

"So Roronoa Zoro kun, can ya guess what this is?"

Zoro shrugged one shoulder and glanced at Freddy with a carefully blank expression. The man simply laughed. "There's no need to be so on guard! Though it definitely isn't something to laugh about either." He sombered up immediately and his glasses glazed over as he looked at the machine.

"Meet Caroline-02, the biggest of all the generators on this island."

Zoro felt a drop of sweat slide down his brow and he wondered why he was feeling so nervous. Freddy looked at him gravely. "Zoro kun, what I'm about to tell ya can easily cost ya yer life. Though I'm pretty sure at this point that's the least of your worries."

Zoro nodded once and Freddy walked forward.

"This lady here is one of three major power houses of this island and also, like I mentioned, the biggest of the lot. Though I'm afraid to say, she's malfunctioning and that's why she ended up here in the dump. But that's not what I want to tell you. What I want to tell you, and I'm pretty sure you've guessed by now-"

"-If this is one of three, then there are two more and considering this one's not working, there are actually _three_ more."

Freddy nodded with approval and continued. "But it's _what_ these are used for that we have to be worried about Zoro kun. Would ya mind if I asked how ya ended up here?"

"Ah.. I- _We.._ I guess we're cast-aways?"

Freddy nodded again. "And I'm guessing yer crew hasn't been able to find ya?"

Zoro snorted. Freddy smiled wearily. "I'm sure ya know there are very few islands on this part of the Grand Line that cannot be traced without an eternal pose? Well yer on one of 'em!" He swept his hands in a wide arc, like he was congratulating Zoro for winning the lottery.

"So what's your point?"

"My _point is,_ there are some islands that can't be traced due to natural reasons and some due to unnatural reasons." He patted Caroline. "And what ya see here used to be part of the latter."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. His mind was already on over drive. He wasn't sure what Freddy was getting at. So they were stranded on some god-forsaken island that used humongous machines in order stay off the charts? _You've gotta be fucking kidding me._

"So what exactly does this thing do? Or did, rather."

"It creates an artificial force field around the island. Kind of like the ones ya see in those Sci-fi Anime. So from the outside, it looks like there's a huge glass globe around the island."

Zoro ran a hand through his spiky hair and shifted uncomfortably. "Soooo what? What does this force field do? Is it supposed to keep unwanted people away from the island? Is it to hide it's magnetic field so pirates or marines stay away?" A sudden thought struck the swordsman. "If that's true, then how did…"

His eyes widened and his jaw fell slack as a stray ray of light glinted off Freddy's glasses. "I guess you've figured it out then. This force field can be controlled using the three machines that are located on the three parts of this island. Unfortunately we could only locate Caroline here and even that was while they were making a big fuss of putting 'er 'ere. Unlike what you think, there's more to this place than just a red-light district and a small town. There's an underground factory, which is directly connected to the world's black market. We don't know for sure what they produce, but obviously none of it can be sold on the surface. Since the force field can be controlled, we can open it when we want and close it when we want. We choose who enters and who leaves. D'you get what I'm saying Zoro kun?"

The dread in Zoro's stomach started to coil and writhe like an angry serpent as he drew in a steadying breath. The gears in his head were slowly clicking into place and everything that he came to understand, left a rancid after taste in his mouth. "So we ended up here by _accident?_"

Freddy nodded slowly.

"… When did you say this thing started malfunctioning?"

"I didn't. But it was about three weeks ago they put 'er 'ere."

* * *

**A/n: Yesh, well another successful chapter! I should start typing more so I can regularly update :/**

**Well, I hope you liked the plot twist!**

**Sneak peak at the next chapter: Nami decides that they better head towards the weird island Luffy spotted, because that was their only lead up till now. Zoro decides to help Freddy and the gang [Reminds me of Scooby Doo lol] locate the other generators and destroy them, possibly their only hope of getting off the island. Meanwhile, Sanji's been completely placed under Zeher's posessive eye and he finds out shocking thruths of his own.**

**Stay tuned for more~**

**review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/n: I- I really don't remember what i was supposed to say here. It was supposed to be something really really important, but-**

**I have a _very _valid excuse. I just watched Thor 2. And ASDFGHJKLWERTYUKJJMHVFCDXSRESTRDTFGJ TOM HIDDLESTON THAT BEAUTIFUL MAN OH MY LORD I JUST WANNA LAUGH AND CRY AND JUMP AND HE'S SO DAMN PERFECT NOBODY CAN BE SO PERFECT AND ADORABLE AND EDIBLE AND HAVE YOU SEEN HIM DANCE MY BRAIN IS ALREADY MUSH AND I CAN'T-**

**Ahem. yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway, GO WATCH EVERY MOVIE WITH TOM HIDDLESTON IN IT. NOW. DO IT. **

**Hiddlestoners FTW. **

**Totally non-anime fangirling but HEY. HE IS BEAUTIFUL OK.**

**Back to the story, yeah more feels and suspense and OH YEAH! Lot's of plot twists coming together. **

**Yeah that's what I wanted to say. Yeah. Um. Bye?**

**Review, favorite and Follow.**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"So?"

"Hmm…"

"Well?!"

"…mmm"

"Namiiii!"

Nami sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose to keep from snapping at her captain. Sometimes he could really get on her nerves, but she told herself she had more self-control than that. "Well I guess, at this point, there's no harm in checking it out."

"Yoshaa!"

"But Luffy! Remember! We don't know what that thing around the island is! So don't just gamboling in! You have to do what I say! Okay?!"

Luffy's ear-splitting grin only heightened Nami's feeling of trepidation. If there was one thing the navigator prided herself on, it was her keen sense of weather and natural instinct that could determine if something was wrong. And right now, warning bells were screaming a racket in her head. Whatever was around that island was obviously put there for a reason. And the reason definitely wasn't to keep people from spotting it. So-

"-It's to keep people from getting in?"

Nami nodded slowly at Robin, glad that the raven-haired woman picked up facts way faster than everyone else. "That or…." Nami took a deep calming breath, but her throbbing head didn't help one bit.

"Or to keep people from getting _out."_

Nami nodded again, not trusting herself to speak. Robin eyed the island gravely. Then she let out a low chuckle, like she was desperately trying to dispel the electricity that was thick in the air around Nami. The carrot-haired woman closed her eyes briefly and nodded to herself.

"Right then. Let's get to it. After all, it's my fault those two ended up who knows where and god knows what they had to go through in the three weeks they were there. I'm starting to worry about the people on the island, considering it's those two.." Nami went on babbling for a bit and Robin placed a warm hand on Nami's cold, damp one.

"Nami chan, relax. I'm sure they're fine. Besides I'm starting to worry about you." She eyed the small thunderclouds forming over Nami's head. The redhead followed her gaze and winced. With a wave of her hand, she dispelled the clouds and laughed nervously. "Didn't know I could do that."

Robin smiled kindly at her and squeezed her hand.

"We'll be fine. Everything will be back to normal soon enough. So don't worry so much and believe in your Nakama." So saying, Robin walked away and Nami turned to watch the island that was swiftly drawing closer.

'_It's exactly because I believe in them that I'm so worried.'_

* * *

Zoro ran his thumb along the shimmering blade and couldn't help but smile at its smooth and sharp edge. He raised it slowly and swung his arm to the side. There was a loud yelp and Zoro watched as the bottle a worker held was sliced clean in half. The man was white as a sheet and he dropped the bottle and ran away screaming. Zoro grinned and twisted the sword in his hands. It didn't feel the same as Kitestu, but it would do.

Freddy had given the swordsman the one thing he needed most, a sword. And it was a really well crafted blade, slim and light, it's double edge and pin-point tip able to cut and pierce through just about anything. The hilt was an inch in diameter and long, as it was a double-handed sword. Maroon leather wrapped tightly around it and the guard was delicately crafted with coiling serpents. Two of the serpents' heads met at the centre, their mouths open and split tongues extended out, to curl around a shining faux emerald.

Zoro initially found the big stone distasteful. He wasn't some pansy prince swinging around a sword just because he can. But after holding a blade for the first time in over three weeks, he was no one to complain about specifics. Plus, if you ignored the shitty folderol trimming, it was an exceptional blade. Nothing like the ones he owned, but the slim and light metal was swift and sure, piercing and slicing with as much elegance as Jack the Ripper's blade.

"Looks like I made the right choice eh?"

Zoro raised his head and Freddy smiled and sat down beside the other. He motioned toward the sword, "That one there was one of the only possessions I was left with from my previous life."

Zoro almost asked what the man had been, before he ended up in that hellhole. But he wasn't a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed bundle of curiosity who had a nose for other people's lives. So instead, he ran a hand along the sword appreciatively, "It'll do. Thanks."

Freddy waved him off and the two sat watching the other men work. The construction wasn't nearly finished, but Freddy claimed Zoro didn't have to be a part of it. "Can't have our hero bleeding to death from carrying a few pails of cement now can we?" He'd said. Not that Zoro was complaining. Lack of work meant more time to plan. And he was the kind of person who left all the planning to everyone else and just barged straight in. That was obviously not an option here though.

"So what exactly do you propose we do now?"

"Hmm. Well for starters, we gotta get ya into that factory."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. Freddy warbled gently and patted his tummy. "No worries. I know a person in the inner circle who can get ya in." He eyed Zoro for a moment. "But first, we gotta do somethin' bout that hair of yers."

* * *

Sanji stared down at the mug of clear liquid and sighed. He was sure it was the same shitty drug that he'd been drinking for the past few days now, since Zeher had 'picked him up' and he knew it would make him groggy and annoyed and extremely aroused, but he didn't exactly want to drink it unless he had to.

"It's not gonna kill you Prince and you know it."

Zeher walked in, his long purple robe trailing behind like a queen's mantle. He'd cleaned up thoroughly since the previous day when he'd invited Sanji to come stay with him, instead of in the hosts' quarters. Of course the blonde couldn't refuse, as Ravena had sent word that it didn't matter what he was asked to do, as long as he didn't piss the man off. Must be someone really important. And loaded. And now he found himself thinking that Zeher was extremely good looking.

He had sharp, piercing features, which were slender and strong rather than brawny and overly muscular. Sanji had already seen all of his toned body, but the man's usually shaggy rag-like hair was now silky smooth and cascaded down his shoulders and back like a waterfall of pure, clean sand. The violet of his eyes were so deep and seemed to hold an unfathomable power of allurement that captivated the blonde and made him feel shackled by them.

He simply couldn't look away from those orbs. It was like he was trapped in their spell, caged like an animal, his will chained, his mind broken, his body tethered to the spot by invisible bonds.

The empty mug clattered to the ground as his grip failed and his fingers went limp. His vision turned fuzzy as Zeher walked towards him and Sanji wondered with alarm as to when exactly he'd downed the contents of the mug that lay at his feet. Zeher stood in front of him and his lips eased into a slow smile, his eyes half closed but still just as dangerous, as he raised a hand and laid it on the cook's cheek.

Sanji immediately leaned into the touch. His body was unbearably cold on the outside but impossibly hot on the inside. He felt like his organs would melt from the sweltering heat that would eat him inside out, but he would freeze from the numbing cold that paralyzed his limbs. His vision flickered again and Zeher's features changed.

Through the haze, Sanji was looking at a man with heavy features, a broad muscular chest – unlike the slim one he had gotten used to, a thick sinewy neck – unlike the long one he had buried his teeth in, a long gash vertically down the left eye, effectively shutting the gunmetal orb – unlike the eerie violet ones he'd gotten lost in, and finally short, spiky, moss-coloured hair, springing out in all sorts of odd angles – unlike the golden mane he had wanted to sink his hands in.

Was he hallucinating? And if he was, why was he picturing a certain mossball of a swordsman? Why was it that the Marimo was invading his every conscious and unconscious thought? Why was it that, every time he thought he was loosing himself, that big idiotic grin would flash behind his eye lids and his hope would rise like a helium balloon? Why was it that, even when he knew his life was one second away from being torn from him, a couple of insulting words said by that infuriatingly rough and deep voice in the back of his mind, and he would fight back with renewed vigor? Why was it that despite wanting to lose himself in the mindless torture, simply because he couldn't stand it, the feel of those chapped lips that crushed against his made him want to try a little harder, live a little longer? Why was it that the man whose very existence had proved to be a constant source of mind-wreaking irritation, was turning into his only solace and hope? Why was it that the four letter word that made up his name became a mantra to ease his distorted soul? Why was it that those rugged shoulders whose flexing used to be a source of exasperation, were turning into a constant support for his tired body to lean against? Why was it that the thought of those large, calloused hands grabbing onto him instead of swords, something that comforted him so greatly? And why was it that he felt this inexplicable need to see Zoro that caused his chest to tighten and tears to burn behind his eyelids?

"You're drifting off my Prince.. Come, let us take a walk." Zeher pulled Sanji to his feet and the blonde found, with some surprise, that he could stand and walk straight. Apparently whatever that drug was, it only affected his mind and not anything else. Zeher led him out of the room to a dimly lit corridor. Gold and black trimming and designs accented the carmine carpet and wallpaper. Short Victorian pillars held expensive looking vases that overflowed with a variety of red flowers; roses, peonies, tulips, poppies, dahlias and the like. The long corridor extended all the way to the back of the building, several doors were placed on either side at intervals.

Sanji felt sick. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know who this Zeher person really was or why he was so obsessed with the blonde. He didn't know where he was being taken. He didn't know where Zoro was or what he was doing, if he was still arrive or a corpse rotting in some alley. He didn't know where the rest of his Nakama were, he didn't know how much longer he could survive this mindless torture before he completely broke, he didn't know if someone was going to save him, he didn't know how he'd been reduced to a state where he was waiting for someone else to save him, he didn't know why he hadn't killed himself yet.

"_A little longer cook. I'll think of something."_

The voice echoed inside his head loudly, like a gong being struck in an empty room. It engulfed him in the warmth of hope and he stood up straighter, walker more boldly, raised his chin up higher, and felt as alive as he could under the effects of the drug. He trusted Zoro. He trusted he would come for him. He believed in him. He believed Zoro would find him. His weakened mind and body didn't even find it humiliating to feel alive from the fact that Zoro was going to rescue him. In fact, he wondered, beyond the stupid brawls and fights and insults, didn't the two have a much deeper connection?

And Sanji found himself smirking, solely about the fact that if he were sane, he would have never thought of any of these things, especially about a stupid Marimo.

* * *

Nami screamed as Sunny rocked dangerously. Luffy cursed and blew at his burning fist. Usopp got down on one knee, panting from exerting himself. Brook and Chopper lay sprawled on the deck a few feet away. Robin and Franky continued badgering away at the force field that surrounded the island.

"Alright! That's enough!" Nami barked as she turned the wheel and steadied the swaying ship. "Franky!"

The shipwright took control immediately and Nami walked back to her cursing captain. She squatted down in front of him and breathed out slowly.

"Luffy, that's a force field. And there's no way we can pummel our way through it. Especially since, by now, they should know we're here.

"Who is _they? _And why are you acting like Zoro and Sanji are on this island?"

Luffy finally looked up, revealing his eyes that were previously hidden under his hat. Nami staggered back at the question. Now that she thought about it, besides being their only lead, the island had no other significance what so ever. So why was it that she had this indescribable feeling that their two missing members were on that island?

The back of her neck prickled and Nami swallowed. The danger she had been sensing since they neared the island was like a thick cloud of fog around them, suffocating and blinding them. She shook her head and stared at her hands.

"I don't know. I just… I don't know…"

Luffy looked at her for a moment and finally nodded. He stood up and extended a hand to her. Pulling her up, he turned to stare at the nearly invisible force field.

"You aren't the only one feeling it though. There's something completely off about this place. And I have a bad feeling that Zoro and Sanji are here."

The crew exchanged worried glances and then looked from their captain to the island. They had to figure out how to get through the force field and fast, if they were to escape the sense of impeccable danger that clung to the air around them.

* * *

"Where's Freddy?"

"Freddy san went to talk to his friend."

"The guy whose gonna get me in?"

"Yep."

Zoro sniffed and ran a hand through his – not so spiky, pushed down, dark coloured – hair. Freddy had insisted he dye his oddly colored hair and wear sunglasses at all times. So there he was, in a weird camel-coloured jumpsuit that was unzipped down to his waist, under which he wore a yellow shirt with large green squares on it, with a long black coat on top of the jumpsuit – whose high collar hid his earrings, black biker gloves and thick black boots finished his ensemble. He pushed the dark aviators up his nose and grit his teeth as three men turned a corner and walked up to them.

They had gone into a warehouse at the far end of the junkyard, at the back of which was a set of stairs that went deep underground. They had climbed down – just him, Freddy and another man who had long since disappeared when the trio arrived – and Freddy had left them with a vague explanation. So now he stood alone, fiddling with his gloves and cursing the damned lighting and heat. It was so dark you could only see thanks to the small oil lamps that hung on one side of the corridor where he stood. The other side had a railing and beyond that was a steep drop, where the furnaces and machines were situated. That explained the stifling heat. Beyond the huge furnaces were tall cylindrical chimneys that disappeared into the darkness above. He had no idea where the chimneys came out, especially since he hadn't spotted smoke anywhere around the island. Beyond the chimneys was a thick iron wall, its ridges and facets black with soot and other chemicals. The wall went all the way from the factory floor to the surface. And they were atleast 400 feet below the surface.

His attention went back to the trio as they came out of the shadows and onto the walkway. His first reaction was to suck in his breath and clench his fists and teeth to stop himself from shouting or punching something. His next reaction was of shock. His last reaction was the thought that fate was the biggest bitch he'd ever known.

For he knew the three men who came to a halt in front of him. The one who walked at the head wore a long blackish robe that shimmered when he moved and despite his cascading hair, the stench of beer made it obvious to who he was. The man who walked slightly behind and beside him was a certain blonde that Zoro had an intolerable urge to smack in the gut at the moment, and walking behind them, wearing expensive clothes and an enormous smile under his huge mustache, was Freddy.

"Frederick, who is this person and why have you brought someone with such a ghastly dressing sense to me?"

Zoro's palm twitched and he had to try with all his might, not to reach for the sword strapped to his back. The blonde beside the man smirked, his cerulean eyes dancing with obvious delight. Freddy bowed slightly and he spoke, it was with a thick accent.

"He's the one I told you about milord."

"_This_ guy?"

"Yes milord."

"Hmph. I hope he's as good as you claim him to be, because I went through the effort of coming all the way down here instead of enjoying myself." The man wound an arm around the blonde and both he and Zoro stiffened. Freddy looked at the swordsman from over his glasses and his mustache twitched. Zoro ground his teeth and made a sweeping bow.

"It is an honour to be able to work under you my lord."

The man huffed his chest and waved his hand.

"Yes, yes whatever. Get him out of those horrid clothes and into those even more horrid uniforms. Come my Prince, let us be off."

"Ah.. Would you mind if I looked around?"

"What?"

"..Can I please look around.. Zeher san?"

Zeher's violet eyes burned black and his lips twitched into a smirk.

"Frederick."

"Yes milord."

"Make sure my precious.. _toy_ here doesn't get himself burned by things _he shouldn't know of."_

"…Yes milord."

And with a swish of his coat Zeher walked away. "Twenty minutes Prince." He called as he disappeared into the shadows.

None of the three men moved until they were sure Zeher had turned the corner and was out of earshot. Freddy opened his mouth to address Zoro, but the swordsman had walked over to the other man and loomed over him.

"What the _fuck _are you doing here?!"

"It's good to see you too Marimo."

"Answer my question you fucking-"

"Don't tell me…" The duo looked at Freddy, one gunmetal eye burning with rage and irritation and one azure eye shining with obvious delight.

"Black leg Sanji?"

Sanji's ear splitting grin could've lit up the whole underground factory for all it was worth.

"Bingo!"

* * *

**A/n: Uhm sorry about my very un-ladylike outburst before. So, I quite liked this chapter. It's an early update because I won't be home for another week. Since I'm going on a college trip that I _Absolute Do Not ant To Go On._ But, I hope you guys will survive with this early update and our favorite duos' reunion!**

**Sneak peak at next week's chapter: Zoro and Sanji are finally reunited, though under circumstances that neither dreamed about. Zoro and Freddy explain their side of the story to Sanji and the cook vows to do his part of the digging. Freddy strays off to see if he can get Zoro into the crew that works directly with one of the generators and Zoro and Sanji find themselves in a situation that neither would have appreciated under normal situations. Though neither had any complaint about the other's arms winding around him or lips crushing against his. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew are still unsuccessful in destroying the force field. How will the crew save their marooned nakama and how will Zoro and Sanji get out of the hell hole they're trapped in?**

**Stay tuned for more~**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~ **


	10. Chapter 9

**A/n: Sorry for the late update! I just got back and I just finished this chapter so..**

**I'm kind of just going with the flow here, so I hope you guys don't get too confused. I'll try to even things out... eventually. Ahahahaha~**

**Anyway, read on! And thank you for all the reviews!**

**Follow, Favorite and Review!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"So what brings you here and what's up with your ridiculous appearance?"

Sanji's voice shook with laughter as he clutched his stomach and wiped a tear from his eye. Zoro growled and tugged at his dark hair. Then he turned to Freddy and the man nodded and walked off with a wave. "I'll go make sure you're part of the crew directly involved with the generators."

Sanji turned to Zoro with a raised eyebrow. "Generators?"

"Yeah. Apparently this island has a force field around it and…" Several minutes later, Zoro paused in his explanation of all the information he'd found out and pulled the shirt off his head. Sanji tapped his chin and hummed thoughtfully.

"Sooo basically, you have the worst luck ever."

"Why am I the only one with bad luck?!"

"Hah? That's obviously 'cuz you're the Marimo!"

"That makes no sense!"

"Exactly my point."

"Shit! I've had enough of your curlybrow logic. Now where the fuck are those shitty uniforms?!"

Sanji leaned against one of the large metal shelves that lined the interior of the single huge room at the end of the corridor and tilted his head. "You're wounds look better."

Zoro snorted and grimaced at the pair of shit coloured trousers and jacket that Freddy had given him. "I'll live."

Sanji scoffed and walked up to Zoro. He carefully ran his fingertips along the other's heavily bandaged chest and smirked when the action caused Zoro to shiver.

"I gotta say, you can even make bandages look hot." Sanji nearly bit his tongue as the words slipped out of his mouth. He didn't know why he said them; especially since the person he said them to was a certain national treasure of a specimen that he loathed. But the words rolled off his tongue like his brain refused to listen to reason and he couldn't stop the heat that rushed to his face at Zoro's answering grin.

"Oh really? You don't look so bad yourself ero cook. A whore's life really is becoming you."

And Zoro eye-raped Sanji, his single gunmetal eye burning with something that the cook hadn't quite seen before. The swordsman's eye reached Sanji's hips and a pink tongue darted out to lick chapped lips.

"My my, always hungry aren't we?"

Sanji took a step back and felt the cold metal shelf dig into his back. Zoro closed the distance between them and before either could think better of the situation or what they were about to do, they smashed their mouths together, tongues invading, arms and bodies tangling together, breaths intermingling. Zoro grabbed Sanji around his waist and propped him up against the shelf. He then brought one hand back around to palm the cook's erection. Sanji moaned into Zoro's mouth and pressed himself against the other. Zoro grinned and planted his lips on the blonde's throat. Sanji curled over Zoro and grabbed the dark hair to support himself. The swordsman growled and tore the thin pants that clung to Sanji.

"W-Wait! Oi!"

Zoro looked up, his teeth bared and his eye flashing, giving him the look of a predator. The heat from Sanji's face went straight to his groin.

"What."

"Ah.. No.. I gotta go soon."

Zoro swore loudly and pulled Sanji's head down. A loud crack echoed as their foreheads collided and the blonde yelped loudly.

"What the fuck?!"

"What does that guy do to you?"

The question made Sanji blink in confusion. His lips pressed together in a thin line and he tugged Zoro's hair sharply.

"Don't joke with me bastard."

"Does it look like I'm joking?"

Brilliant blue eyes stared into charcoal ones and Sanji swallowed. He looked away and propped himself up on the shelf under him. "..No"

Zoro waited for Sanji to say more, but when the blonde continued to look away, his blonde bangs hiding most of his face, the swordsman sighed in frustration. He leaned forward and placed his forehead on the other man's shoulder. Sanji stiffened at the sudden intimate gesture and found the heat returning to his face.

"…Sorry."

Wide eyes snapped open and down at the head that lay on his shoulder, as Sanji let the soft apology echo in the silence of the huge room. He felt a lump form in his throat and he found himself entwining his fingers in the soft locks that brushed against his face.

"Moss hair suits you better."

"And that annoying smirk suits _you_ better." Zoro shifted so their eyes met and Sanji's face broke into a sloppy smile.

"Whaaaaat? Do I look like some damsel in distress who needs you to pull some corny shit on her?"

The answering smirk caused Sanji's heart to flutter.

"Good to know you've finally found your true self."

Sanji kicked at Zoro, but the man just caught his leg and kissed his throat.

"We're almost there."

"Yeah…."

"Don't die on me."

"Hah! I don't wanna hear that from _you _of all people."

"I mean it curlybrow."

Sanji looked down into the single intense eye and swallowed. He nodded slowly and pushed himself off the shelf.

"Where are you going?"

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "I dunno, where do you think _dumbass?_"

Zoro growled at the accentuated word and ruffled his hair in irritation. "You're going to waltz out looking like _that?!"_

Sanji followed Zoro's gaze down to his half naked state. He wasn't sure what 'that' was referring to, the large tent under his thin shirt or the fact that he was butt naked. No like, his butt was naked. Sanji shrugged nonchalantly and blew a few stray strands out of his single visible eye.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

Zoro's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Wh- The fuck is wrong with you?! Other than the normal stuff! Since when do you not have a problem shimmying about without any underwear?!"

And for that, Sanji shimmied and loped up to the cursing swordsman. He poked Zoro in the chest with one long finger, earning more curses and winked. "Whaaaat~ Are you jealous I'm leaving you for that guy?"

Zoro drew in a breath through clenched teeth and stared down at Sanji for a good long minute before smashing him against the back of a shelf and sticking his face right in front of the other's.

"I think this is waaay past something as stupid and primary as _jealousy._"

Zoro's voice was low and strained, like he was controlling his urge to throw Sanji across the room. Sanji's breath caught in his throat at the sheer number of implications that statement could bring about. He opened his mouth and spoke just as softly, his voice barely audible over their heavy breathing.

"Then what is _this_ shitty swordsman? What exactly is _this?"_

Confusion flitted across Zoro's face, followed by hesitation and anger burned in Sanji's veins as he pushed the man off him and stomped away. Zoro stood stock still for a couple of seconds, the answers to the question bouncing around in his head. He noted from the corner of his eye that Sanji was making his way out of the room and plucking the coat he'd strewn across the floor, threw it at the blonde.

The cook stared at the coat like it would hiss and lunge at him and Zoro almost thought he'd fling it away. But Sanji draped it around his shoulders and disappeared around the corner.

Zoro watched the retreating back and sighed. He ruffled his hair and stared at the shit coloured clothes in his hand. With a strangled cry of frustration, he scrunched them up and threw them across the huge room. The bundle hit one of the shelves and fell to the floor uselessly. Zoro stared at it for a long time, his thoughts straying to the blonde every few seconds.

What _did_ he mean?

* * *

Sanji slipped the coat off him and carefully hung it in the cupboard and out of sight. No need to cause Zeher to go off the edge about him returning with a coat that didn't belong to either of them. To avoid dealing with the other obvious problem as to why he wasn't wearing any pants, Sanji shoved off his shirt and walked into the bedroom. Zeher was lying on the bed, wearing an expensive maroon robe, a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other. The curtains were drawn and the sole bed lamp was the only source of light in the otherwise dark bedroom. As Sanji entered, the man shut his book and placed it on the table beside the bed. He then curled a single finger in Sanji's direction and the cook slunk towards the bed.

He was still fuming about the previous 'situation' he'd ended up in with Zoro. He hated himself for acting on impulse, he hated that stupid Marimo for acting on impulse, he hated himself for being so damn roundabout regarding everything, he hated that national treasure for saying stuff without understanding the consequences, he hated himself for reacting the way he did, he hated that shitty swordsman for reacting the way he had, he hated himself for being so fucking weak and he hated that mossball for being slow as hell.

So, he focused on the new task assigned to him. Digging out more information regarding Zeher. He wasn't sure who the other fat man who had been with them was, but Zoro seemed to know him, so it wasn't his problem anymore. Now he was going to forget about annoying grassheads and do what was to be done.

Sanji snuggled under the blanket and tucked himself under Zeher's chin. He ran a finger down the middle of the other's chest, where the robe was open and Zeher hummed deeply.

"My, my, what's got you in such a good mood?"

"Mm I was just excited after seeing such a huge factory under the ground." Sanji purred as he rubbed his nose against Zeher's throat. "I've never been to a factory before." He added, when Zeher turned to look at him curiously.

"Is that right? Well there are things far more interesting that I'm sure you'll love to see, a factory being the last of them, if not at all."

Sanji took that as his cue to change the subject, but he continued to push a little more. "But it's so fascinating! A factory as huge as that, built under a city, on an island and you seem to be the king of it all!" The blonde was surprised at the excitement in his voice and he was sure his face betrayed the fascination and enthusiasm he was supposed to be feeling, because Zeher looked convinced. Sanji's acting skills had gotten better. Zeher caressed Sanji's cheek and smiled down at him, almost gently, before he dipped low and began trailing kissed down Sanji's neck.

"King? Now that's a perfect way of explaining what I am. I couldn't have done it better myself."

"So you're Zeher the high and mighty?"

"Yes, yes I am. But to you my Prince… I am simply Zeher."

Violet eyes flashed as Zeher's lips met Sanji's and the last thought the blonde had before switching off his mind, was of chapped lips and coarse hands and what a fucking idiot he was to think about them.

* * *

Zoro stared slack jawed and bug eyed at the humongous machine in front of him. Freddy had returned shortly after Sanji had left, to inform Zoro that preparations were complete and Zoro was successfully a part of Cameron – the second largest generator – 's crew. Zoro was thankful he didn't have to wear that shitty uniform, but now he looked like one of those badass cops that they often showed in movies.

He wore a tight black shirt that was thin and showed off his muscles, beige slacks that were tucked into his boots and held at his waist by a heavy black belt with several hooks and pockets, his black leather biker gloves and black aviators coupled with his dark hair gave him the look of a perfect badass cop. He played with the strap on his gloves uncomfortably. He would've preferred the jacket he'd been wearing, for now there was nothing covering his earrings and bandages. He blamed a certain blonde curlicue for that. Especially since the other workers were giving him menacing looks. Not that he cared. Hell if those bastards could stand up to him. Ok maybe they could, since they were well over six feet, double his size and had clean shaven heads and beards. Seriously, was this a factory or the backstage of a wrestling/boozing tournament?

"Roroan kun! Over here!" Freddy waved Zoro over from atop a crane-lift-watchamacallit and Zoro loped over, hands deep in his pockets. Another reason he wanted the coat, now he had nowhere to hide his sword.

"So he's the one?"

Zoro nodded once to the huge man who was three times as tall as Freddy and double Zoro's size. He looked like a wild baby elephant. The man grinned good naturedly and pumped Zoro's arm up and down. "Good to have ya here sonny! Make sure you work hard so you dun have to pay the price later!" The man winked at Zoro and shared a knowing look with Freddy.

"Well, why not go over to the boys there and have em talk you through everything. Oh! I'm Jazz by the way. And you look better in green." Jazz winked again, patted Zoro on the shoulder and rumbled away. Zoro raised an eyebrow at Freddy and the man laughed heartily, his belly wobbling along with the laughs.

"Yeah, he's with us. Don' worry too much eh? Just go and try to blend in with the rest. Jazz'll tell ya when we're moving next."

"What about…"

"Blackleg? I'll try to do something about him. But considering Zeher's taken a liking to him…" Freddy frowned worriedly and Zoro felt his heart sink. He knew the guy was bad news since the first time he caught sight of him. Zoro hated everything about the man. Especially the way he called Sanji his _toy_ and behaved like the blonde _belonged_ to him. Zoro grit his teeth and walked up to a group of men who were sizing him up as he made his way towards them.

"Give it yer all ma'boy!" Freddy yelled out in his faux accent and Zoro flexed a shoulder.

This shit was taking way too long.

* * *

"Again?"

"Ah yeah I haven't been feeling too well."

"You barely eat Prince! I can't afford to let you fall sick!"

Sanji groaned, doubled over and promptly vomited all over the carpeted floor. Zeher swore loudly and wrinkled his nose. He scooted to the other end of the bed and Sanji rolled his eyes. Swiping a hand over his mouth, he padded towards the bathroom and splashed the ice-cold water on his face. He eyed the shower for a few seconds and decided he needed a bath. He let the cool water run down his heated skin and felt the bile rise up again. He knelt on the marble tiled floor and puked his guts out. He was sure this was a side effect of the drug Zeher had been forcing him to drink over the past few days. And he'd been drinking it atleast two to three times a day. Of course his body would start reacting. He'd felt nauseous before, the feeling one got when they drank too much alcohol on an empty stomach, but he'd managed to keep it down with food. Now though, he felt sick and tired and food was the last thing on his mind. He stood up and tilted his head back. Opening his mouth, he let the water wash away the filthy taste. After drying himself off, he slid on a pair of black jeans, a thick wool turtle neck the colour of his eyes and black boots. Smoothing his hair back, he placed the fake black rimmed glasses on his nose and exited the room.

He needed some air and fuck Zeher if he was going to throw a tantrum about it.

Sanji walked out of the building and wound his way through the streets. The first time he'd been brought to the huge house, he was too drugged to notice anything. But now, he noted that the manor was situated on a slightly raised piece of land at the back of the town. The front led straight to the main street and after awhile of walking, he recognized the part of town as where Amelia's clinic was. Just as his eyes scanned the area for the large plus sign, the familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Prince san?! Oh I just knew it was you! What in the world are you doing here?! Oh and I must say you look fabulous as always." Amelia giggled and hicked and Sanji raised an eyebrow at the red faced woman. He kissed her knuckles and helped her up the stairs that led to her living space. Once they were seated on the sofa – that was pushed back and surrounded by a tangle of pillows, blankets, sake bottles and a futon – Sanji stood up to go the kitchen and make them some tea.

"Oh! Would you please make me some of that wonderful tea you made me before?"

"Of course my dear, whatever the lady wants." Sanji purred as he looked for the ingredients he needed.

"Ah I really am ashamed of myself. I don't usually get drunk, but I was so worried! Roroan san hasn't been back in days and I have no idea where he's gone! All his stuff are here so I can only assume he'll come back.. but what if he's gotten into trouble again! What if he's nearly dead again! What if-"

"He's perfectly fine my lady. Really! That bastard has no sense of preservation, making a lady worry about him so." Sanji placed the cup and saucer in Amelia's cold fingers and draped the blanket around her.

"It's getting chilly isn't it?"

"It is." Sanji had a sudden fore thought and sat up straight. "Amelia san… I don't mean to sound rude, but would you mind telling me everything you know about this island?"

Amelia started and her hands started shaking. The sound of the cup and saucer clinking together and the tea spilling over lasted until Sanji decided to pry them out of her hand.

"Th-That.."

"It's alright if you can't" The cook said softly, as he placed a reassuring hand on her frighteningly cold one. She looked up at him with wide brown eyes and swallowed loudly.

"N-No, I don't mind telling you.. it's just.."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I couldn't possibly have a fragile flower such as yourself take on the burden of worrying about me."

Amelia gave him a small smile and then stared at her hands.

"Well this island.. it was just a normal island, with a normal town before. People who got lost, or were shipwrecked or marooned, wound up on this island. And considering this part of the grand line, the cases well all too numerous. The island was a sort of savior to all those lost souls who had nowhere to return to or no way to go back home. But then.." She took a trembling breath and Sanji thought she looked thinner and paler since the last time they met. "..Then _He_ came."

"He?" Sanji urged when Amelia stopped abruptly. She looked close to tears and the cook felt guilty, but this was something he needed to know.

"Yes.. He used to be a marine but then he was taken as a hostage by a bunch of pirates and since then turned to the dark side. He killed his captives of course and then he found this island. He was furious that a place such as this existed. That a place so peaceful existed when he'd been deprived of everything he longed for. So he built the red light district. Initially he forced all the young women and men on the island to work as sex slaves. But later, he made connections with the underworld and soon pirates and all kinds of shady people started to trade and indulge in the sex slaves business of our island. They even say they're manufacturing goods for the black market here. I- I'm not very sure, but everyone is forced to go the red light district at night and spend their days working in the factories. All the others who can't run small shops or cafés or clinics like me. It's really very.. disturbing."

'_That explains the lack of people during the day.'_

"And the World Government or the Marines don't do anything about this?"

Amelia's face went extremely pale and she looked like she would be sick. When she spoke, her voice was trembling and barely audible. "The Government has forsaken us. And the Marines.. They themselves come here to enjoy themselves. Atleast they did, until-"

"-Until they wiped the island off the charts and put up the force fields."

Amelia looked surprised that Sanji knew about the force fields. She nodded slowly. "Yes. Now, no one can come or go without permission. We… we don't have any hopes or dreams or wishes of leaving.. ever."

Sanji looked at the shaking women beside him solemnly. Then he asked slowly, "And the person you mentioned, what's his name?"

"Nero Phaustus. But he calls himself Nero of the underworld."

"Wait, not Zeher?"

"Zeher? Whose that?"

Sanji stared back slack jawed as Amelia looked on, confused. His mind was reeling. He had assumed all along that Zeher was the one pulling the strings. But what Amelia said opened a gate to innumerable possibilities. Either Amelia was lying, which she couldn't possibly be, considering the state she was in; Or she was misinformed; Or Zeher was hiding his identity; Or there really was someone higher up who was quietly watching everything from the shadows.

"Shit…"

Looks like they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

**A/n: Agh I'm confusing myself! x(**

**Eitherways, this inspired me to draw a picture(s) of Sanji with black jeans, boots and glasses. **

**And hopefully I can get more chapters done so the updates are regular!**

**Sneak peak at next week's chapter: Sanji seems to have found out several things at once and not all of it adds up. He vows to look into the matter more and solve the mystery of the island. Zoro has been given the task of locating the other two generators and destroying all of them, which means they have a chance of escaping. Meanwhile, the strawhats come across several ships waiting to enter the island. Are these people friends or foes and can the crew get past the force field and to their missing members?**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**


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